Caught in a Rebellion
by panic-on-the-typewriter
Summary: The sequel to Caught in a Moment. Nikki and Finnick get caught up in a rebellion that nether of them anticipated. Or at least one of them didn't...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

I sit on the couch in our spacious living room. Tomorrow's the Reaping for the Seventy-Second Hunger Games. It's going to be hard. Finnick, Annie, Mags and I are going to be responsible for training two children to fight and survive. The odds aren't exactly in our favor. There are twenty-four of them. Only one comes out. Even if one of our tributes wins, we'd be losing the other.

I feel a strong hand clamp down on my shoulder. I whirl around and see my lovely husband, Finnick standing behind me. His sea green eyes stare at me, trying to read my expression. I didn't even hear him come in.

"Snow isn't going to kill anyone like we thought." He says, sitting on the white cushion next to me. Snow found out that I didn't 'service' his client from the Capitol like I said I would, so he threatened to take some action against us. We assumed it was killing my only family member left, which is my Dad, but apparently it's not.

"What is he going to do?" I ask him, fear taking over. What could be worse than killing my father?

"He's going to let you off the hook." He sighs heavily and looks up at me through his lashes. Yeah, that's definitely worse.

"What?!" I gasp. He's probably brewing something much more evil than death for my father in that horrific mind of his.

"He wants to meet with you." Finnick says, leaning forward putting his head in hands.

"No," I say stubbornly. He gives me a look.

"You can't say no to him, we both know that more than anyone." He says. I nod. That is true. I get up and stretch, lately I've been under the weather.

"When is this meeting?" I ask him.

"After the Games." He says. I furrow my brow.

"Why so long?" I ask. He shrugs his shoulder. I shake my head.

I walk into our bedroom and look out the huge glass wall that gives me the perfect view of the ocean. I watch as the blue wave's crash against the dark and glistening rocks.

Finnick enters the room and looks out of the window with me.

"Your Dad is coming over tonight for dinner." Finnick reminds me.

"What time is it?" I look at the digital clock on the nightstand. It reads 5:37.

"Better get ready now, Mrs. Odair." He says. I laugh. I'm still not used to that yet.

I walk to the bathroom, and shower quickly. I step out and start blow drying my hair, and braiding it. I got to keep some of the products from the Capitol. Lavendaria slipped me some amazing makeup products and Quinton gave me some basic hair tools.

Which reminds me, people in the Capitol still haven't gotten over the craze of me and Finnick's wedding. Re-runs of it are still playing. It's absolutely ridiculous how excited the citizens of Capitol get over their Victors.

I start working on my face, pushing some gold eye shadow and black eyeliner on my green eyes. I don't have a full face of makeup on, but at least it's something.

I walk in my closet and push apart the many clothes that Silvarius has stocked my closet with. I decide something casual would be nice. I slide on dark denim Capri's, and a white lace shirt. I nod at myself in approval in the mirror. It'll have to do. I run downstairs and see Finnick pulling a chicken roast of the oven. I can only cook shellfish and fish, and even then, it's not that great. So Finnick takes up most of the cooking.

"It smells great in here." I say, hopping on the counter. I spot a juicy carrot, and swipe it from the pan, burning my finger and my mouth in the process. Finnick smacks my leg lightly.

"Paws off. Dad will be here soon, and _then_ we can dig in." He chuckles.

"Sorry, I can't help it. You cook amazing food." I say, jumping down and wandering into the study, which is filled with my sketches.

I've taken up sketching. It's something I enjoy, I love bringing my ideas and inspiration to life. I've tried painting and sculpting, but I'm not _that_ artistic. I usually sketch the ocean, things around the house, pictures of Sara, and sometimes I'll sketch Finnick.

I hear a knock on the door. I put down the sketchpad I was holding, and run to the door. It's my Dad most likely. I open the door to reveal a very happy looking Dad.

"Hey, Dad." I greet him with a hug.

"Hey, Sea. How are you?" He asks. I know he's asking about the whole situation with Snow. Since the incident at my wedding, I kind of had to inform my dad about who our beloved President really is.

"Great. I'm off the hook; Snow just wants to meet with me. After the Games." I say. My dad furrows his brow. He walks past me and goes straight to the kitchen to where Finnick is. I walk after him.

"Does she have any other options?" My dad asks him.

"I'm afraid not. I don't know what he's going to say, but I can't go with her this time. They will be on the lookout. They will definitely catch me." He sighs, and runs a hand through his bronze hair.

"Could I go?" My dad asks. My eyes widen.

"No, it's too dangerous." I say.

"Exactly. It's too dangerous. I don't want you to go alone!" He suddenly yells. I jump.

"Dad, it doesn't matter if I have a whole army with me, it will be even more dangerous if I bring someone." I explain. My dad just scoffs and looks down, shaking his head.

"How about we eat dinner. This meeting isn't until the Games are over. There's no use in worrying about it now." Finnick says. I nod my head. My dad steps over to me and hugs me.

"I love you. I just want you to be safe." He whispers.

"I love you too Dad." We all sit down at the small kitchen table and dig into the delicious meal Finnick cooked.

We all chat about pointless things, trying to lighten the mood. The rest of the night, we go onto the patio and light a fire in the fire pit. After a while, my dad heads over to his house, well, my old house. Finnick and I stay on the shore, watching the stars. It was a great night.

"Remember when we said our vows in the ocean?" I ask Finnick, tracing patterns on his shirt.

"I think that will be hard to forget." He laughs, his chest moving, messing up my pattern of a flower I was tracing.

"The sky looked exactly like this. The stars were so bright, they sparkled." I say, admiring the beautiful sky.

"Yeah, they did. What's your favorite part about Earth?" He asks me. I think for a moment.

"Probably the ocean. It always seems to soothe me. It was the last time I was with my sister. Even though, that was when she died, it holds a piece of her. It reminds me of her." I say. He winds his fingers into mine.

"Mine is the ocean too. It's where I vowed to my beautiful wife, that I would be hers until the end of my days." He kisses the side of my head. I smile and snuggle closer to him.

I wake up the next morning feeling refreshed. I get up and look in the full length mirror. My blonde streaked hair is in tangles. I'm too lazy, so I just fishtail braid it. I pull on one of Finnick's shirts and head out to the kitchen. All of a sudden I feel nauseous. I clamp my hand over my mouth and run to the bathroom, losing last night's dinner.

I sit up, and wipe my clammy forehead. This couldn't be a result of Finnick's food; everything was fresh, and cooked to perfection. Maybe I'm just stressed about the Games? Today _is_ Reaping Day. Which reminds me, our prep teams should be here soon.

"Nikki?" I hear Finnick calling tiredly.

"In here." I croak. He walks in, a confused look on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Yeah, I just threw up. I'm not sick, probably just nervous." I say. He extends his hand to me, pulling me up.

"Are you sure?" He asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I say. He kisses my cheek, and then runs to the door, to open it for the prep team that just knocked.

"Finnick!" Raquel shrieks. It's been a while since we've seen them. The old gang is back.

"Oh Nikki. I see we haven't moved on from our indecent in public stage." She jokes, I think. I mean this isn't exactly public.

"Alright, let's go, we are on a tight schedule." Raquel snaps. Everyone gets to work immediately. I am whisked upstairs to start on hair and makeup.

"How's married life treating you?" Lavendaria asks, while prepping my face.

"It's been great. Marrying Finnick is the best decision I've made so far." I laugh. She laughs along.

"What have you been up to?" I ask her.

"I've actually been drawing out makeup plans for you. What do you think about a new color scheme?" She asks me.

"Well what did you have in mind?" I question. She dives into telling me all about her color theories, and how different colors would change how the eye perceives my face. I didn't know there was so much science and precision to makeup. I thought you just slap on some makeup and make it look pretty.

After Lavendaria is done with my makeup, I feel nauseous again. I run out of my bedroom at the speed of light, and to the bathroom just in time. I puke into the white porcelain.

Quinton rushes in, a worried expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" He panics. I nod my head weakly.

"Yeah. I'm fine." I say. He helps me up. I wipe the corners of my mouth with toilet paper.

"Okay…" He trails off, not believing me. I go back to my bedroom and sit in the chair. He eyes me before brushing out my hair.

"You don't feel sick at all?" He asks. I shake my head and shrug my shoulders.

"How long have you been feeling this way?" He questions me.

"I don't know. Recently. Maybe since last week?" I say. He nods. He doesn't say anything else; he just continues to comb my hair, styling it into a high ponytail with a braid and feathers.

"All done. Silvarius is in the guest bedroom." He directs me. I smile weakly and walk into the hallway. I see Finnick at the end of it, standing in the doorway to one of the other bedrooms, talking to someone from the inside.

He turns around and spots me.

"Hey gorgeous." He greets me. He kisses me, and then recoils.

"You threw up again didn't you?" He says sourly. I laugh.

"Sorry, should've warned you." I stick out my tongue and push open the white door. I see Silvarius standing in front of a window, looking out to the ocean.

"Hey." I greet. She turns around and smiles at me.

"Navy blue romper today." She points to the bed, where a silk navy blue romper lays.

"Navy blue is my favorite color." I say, and slide into the silky material.

"It looks really nice on you." She compliments. I smile at her.

"So what's this puking business? Are you sick?" She asks wearily. Word travels fast.

"I don't know. I feel fine. I just want to sleep, and eat. Some food makes me nauseous though. It's weird. I think I'm just puking because of stress, or nerves." I explain. Her mouth drops open. She stares at me for a while.

"What…?" I say, getting nervous.

"Are you…pregnant?" She says a smile spreading across her face.

"No! I mean I don't know…I don't think so." I tell her, crossing my arms.

"Nikki, you have to take a test. Just to see. If it's negative, then we know you're sick or something." She says. I nod.

"Where do I get a pregnancy test? I've never had to deal with something like this before." I say quietly.

"On the train, they have some along with the medical supplies. I'll swipe one for you." She says. She walks up to me and hugs me. I hug her back.

"If…If I'm pregnant, what do I do? I mean I didn't have the best parents. What if I turn into my mom, or worse, my dad?" I start panicking.

"Sssh… You will be a great mother. I know it. You have one the warmest, kindest hearts out there. Don't worry. Let's just get through today." She tells me. I nod.

"Thank you Silvarius. This means so much to me." I say. She smiles at me.

I walk out of the room, and I see Raquel at the bottom of the stairs, checking her fancy watch.

"Alright! Nikki! Get-" She looks up, and sees that I'm already walking down the stairs.

"Oh. Sorry, I didn't see you there. Let's go. Cameras are already set up, and I should be on stage right now." She ushers me and Finnick into a car parked outside. I feel nauseous again. Oh no. I breathe in the cool air, trying to keep whatever's left in my stomach down. The feeling passes and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"You sure you're okay?" Finnick leans down and whispers in my ear.

"Yes. Don't worry about me." I kiss his cheek.

"It's my job to worry about you. In sickness and in health, remember?" He smirks. My heart melts at the sight.

We slide into the car, and it zooms off. I wonder what unfortunate kids get picked this year.

We are escorted by peacekeepers into the Justice Building. I grab Finnick's arm. He wraps his arm around my shoulder. We watch from screens inside the justice building.

Raquel stands there, all cheery and happy. I roll my eyes. I remember during my Reaping, I was so annoyed at the bubbly blonde.

"Welcome, welcome! I hereby announce the Seventy-Second annual Hunger Games! President Snow has prepared a video for you to watch before we get started! May the odds be ever in your favor!" She beams. She says the same exact thing every year, and the same exact video plays.

"Isn't that just lovely? I love that. Now, ladies first!" She says, with wide gestures of her hands. She walks over to the crystal bowl on the ladies side. She dips her hand in, and searches around for a card. She picks one up, and opens it at the microphone.

"Rose Waterman." She announces. I look around to the crowd. I see a blonde girl with green eyes push herself out of the crowd, and walk bravely up to the stage.

"Excellent. What's your name, dear?" Raquel asks her, placing the microphone under her mouth.

"I'm seventeen." She says confidently. She was so close to making it. One more year, and she'd be ineligible for the Games.

"Now onto the boys!" She prances over to the boy's crystal bowl and picks up a white card. She walks back to the microphone and opens it up.

"Luke Gray!" She announces. I see a boy with medium length brown hair, and crystal blue eyes run to the stage.

"Looks like he could win. He looks very strong." Finnick comments.

"Yeah, as for the girl, her cocky attitude will get her killed." I say sadly. Rose is too confident. When she meets the others, they will definitely rip that apart. She's making herself a target.

The tributes and Raquel are lead back into the Justice Building, they immediately go to say goodbye to their families.

Raquel walks up to me, and sighs heavily.

"Did you see Rose? She needs to learn to behave more like a lady. I swear she grew up in a cave with no electricity." She complains. I roll my eyes.

"I like Luke, he looks nice." I say. Finnick raises an eyebrow.

"His personality!" I defend. He chuckles.

"And his looks. Don't lie. He's _very_ easy on the eyes." Raquel says, smiling. I laugh.

"Well, we should board the train." Raquel announces, looking at her watch. We follow her to the train. When we get there, the reporters and cameras are crowded around. When they see Finnick and I, they go crazy. Finnick wraps his arm around me, and guides me inside.

"Those reporters will never die down, will they?" I shake my head at them.

"Hello, Finnick." I hear a familiar voice say. My head snaps towards Annie who is sitting perfectly on the couch.

"Hi Annie." He says, his voice cold.

"Nikki." She nods at me. I walk over to the bar; I'm going to need something a little stronger to get through _this_ trip. Just as I pick up the bottle, I remember Silvarius and I's conversation. About the fact I could be pregnant. I drop the bottle, like it burned me. It clatters to the silver tray below, making a loud noise. Annie jumps, and Finnick turns to look at me.

"Sorry…" I mutter. I walk away from the cart and sit down on the couch opposite Annie. I look out window, at the carpet, at Finnick, at the walls, and the lights to keep myself from looking at Annie as we wait.

The train doors open, finally. I thought they would never show up. I turn around to look at them. Rose seems infuriated, and Luke seems calm. What a pair of opposites.

"Hello, my name is Finnick Odair, this is my wife, Nikki Odair, and that's Annie Cresta. Mags is probably in her room, resting. We are your Mentors." Finnick introduces us.

"Yeah, I already know who you guys are. The whole District has been talking about you guys non-stop." Rose snaps.

"It's nice to meet you guys." Luke says sweetly. He walks over to Finnick and shakes his hand. He stops before me next, and shakes my hand. Lastly he goes over to Annie and shakes her hand. I really like Luke.

"Nikki!" I hear an urgent whisper from the hallway. I look over and see Silvarius waving me over. It's time.

"Uhh…I'll be back, you two got this, and you don't really need me for this part." I excuse myself and quickly walk over to Silvarius. I follow her to me and Finnick's room.

"Okay, so this is how it works, just take this out of the box, and pee on it. Yeah, I know, it's gross." She explains. I sigh.

"Thank you Silvarius." I say, taking the box from her. I sit down and think of the ocean, the rain, anything to get me to pee.

After I pee on the stupid stick, I place it on a piece of toilet paper on the counter.

"Okay I'm done." I tell her. She peeks her head in.

"Now we wait." She smiles.

"How long?" I ask. The longer I'm gone, the more Finnick will want to know what happened.

"Like two minutes." She informs me. I lean against the wall.

"You're excited about this, huh?" I ask her.

"Yes. I remember the excitement of having a baby." She plays with her necklace.

"You do?" I ask. I never knew Silvarius had a child.

"Yes. But unfortunately, I lost the baby." She says, her eyes glassy.

"I'm so sorry Silvarius. That must've been awful." I say.

"It was. But I got over it. That's probably why kids don't like me at first." She says. I raise an eyebrow.

"I had to distance myself from them, I couldn't bear it. I had to distance myself from my motherly instincts too. When people first meet me, I come across as icy and detached." She clarifies.

"Oh. You were just trying to survive. It happens to the best of us." I say. She smiles.

"I think it's done." She looks over at it. Her hands immediately fly up to her face, her smile spreading even wider.

"I can't look. Is it positive?" I ask.

"You are having a baby!" She says, jumping. She hugs me tightly and we jump together. I can't help the smile that finds it way on face. Watching her so happy and joyous is contagious.

"When are we telling Finnick?" She asks.

"Not until the right time." I say, breathless.

"Go out there! I'll clean up in here." She orders, pointing her finger. I run out and see Finnick and Annie sitting on the couch next to each other, and Rose and Luke on the couch in front of them. I take a seat in a chair next to Rose.

"Sorry. I just had a fitting." I lie. Finnick gives me a questioning look, and Annie glares out the window.

"So what have I missed?" I ask awkwardly.

"I can take anyone down that comes after me. I have five brothers. Beat that." Rose spits. She is very obnoxious. If she doesn't shut up, I'll have to 'take her down' myself. Finnick has been training me in hand to hand combat. I've been doing great actually. I'm still the best with knives.

"I guess I'm strong. I haul around cargo all day. My dad oversees the storage unit, so I have to help him with carrying stuff." Luke says politely. I nod at the both of them.

"Dinner time!" Raquel says, popping out of nowhere.

Annie pushes herself off the couch and seats herself at the table. Finnick grabs my hand and sits across from her. Luke takes his seat next to me, and rose sits next to Annie. Raquel sits at the head of the table, like always.

Silvarius and our prep teams join us.

"Who are these freaks?" Rose asks, gesturing to Lavendaria and Quinton.

"We freaks are here to make you look decent, although makeup can only do so much. Your personality will have to stay-" Lavendaria begins to say.

"Hey! Look there's hot chocolate." I interject before things can get ugly. Rose glares at her, and Lavendaria grinds her teeth.

We continue with dinner, with no more fights. Actually, no one speaks. Silvarius keeps looking at me and giggling. Finnick looks between the two of us, who look too happy, considering what's going on.

After dinner is done, we each head off to our own rooms. Mags never came out. I guess she must be really tired. Finnick walks into the bathroom, and starts the water for the shower.

"I'm going to take a quick shower." He calls.

"Kay." I yell back.

"Would you two shut up?!" I hear Rose faintly from the other room.

"Can you relax?!" I hear Luke scold her from his own room. I laugh quietly to myself. I pull out my sketchpad and pencils. I start sketching a baby's face. I wonder what our baby will look like. I hope he or she takes after Finnick. He's gorgeous.

I continue sketching, and then I hear the water turn off. I snap the book shut and throw it in my nightstand. I can't have Finnick asking any questions. I don't think right now is the right time. It's not special enough.

"Nikki…What's this...?" He asks, holding up the stick that told me I was going to be a mother. I cover my face with my hands. Great.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your support and views with the other story, it means a lot to me, considering I'm a new writer here on Fanfiction. I'd like to thank .Slytherin666 for your review on chapter one of this story, it makes me happy to know that people are actually reading this and enjoying it. Here's chapter Two! As always, enjoy and reviews are welcomed. :)**

Chapter Two:

I cover my face in my hands. This isn't how this was supposed to happen.

"Nikki…If this is what I think it is…Does this mean you are…?" He stammers.

"Finnick, I wanted to tell you in the right moment. But…Yes. I am pregnant." I tell him, my hand slowly sliding down my hands. I watch his reaction carefully. He smiles wide, and lets out a breathless laugh.

"Are you serious?" He asks, throwing the stick into the bathroom behind his back.

"Yes. Finnick, we're having a baby." I laugh. He runs over to me and jumps on the bed, tackling me. He starts kissing every inch of my face.

"I'm so happy. Nikki, I've always wanted to be a father. Thank you!" He kisses me.

"I don't think you should thank me. I mean it's not like I did this all on my own. You kind of have an important part in this too." I smirk. He laughs, and brushes some strands of hair away from my eyes. He stares in them. I see true happiness and love in his eyes.

We continued to talk for hours about what our baby would look like, what traits from each of us it would inherit, and so on. Finnick is convinced it will be a boy, with my emerald green eyes, his bronze hair, and he will be strong like both of his parents.

I disagree. I think it will be a girl, with Finnick's sea green eyes, his bronze curls, and be artistic like me, in a sense.

"Finnick, what do you think Snow will do when he finds out? How will we protect her?" I ask him, running my hand along his perfectly sculpted chest.

"We will protect her with our lives. No one will touch her. I swear if anything happens to her…" He starts to threaten Snow, but I place my finger over his lips.

"Snow is probably listening, which means he knows about her." I say, fear easing its way into my system. My heart speeds up, and my breathing becomes quicker.

"Him." Finnick whispers against my finger. He kisses it, and grabs my hand. I calm down a little.

"We have nine months. The next Games will be starting by time he or she is born." I say. He looks up at the ceiling.

"We need to come up with a strategy for Rose and Luke." He says. My thoughts wander to the unlikely duo. They will definitely not be like me and Paul. I don't see them forming an alliance.

"How will they get sponsors? Rose isn't exactly likeable. Luke will have no problem." I say, placing a hand on my stomach. I still can't believe our child is in there. I can't wait to meet her. Or him.

"Rose can get sponsors if she uses her confidence right. There needs to be more depth to her. She needs a backstory. Something that will grab the audience's attention." Finnick thinks out loud.

I think for a moment. I don't know anything about her, other than that she has five brothers. Brothers…We could use that.

"We can think more about this tomorrow. You need your rest. You're growing our child in there." Finnick says, placing his warm hand on top of mine resting on my stomach.

"Don't say that ever again. It's weird." I laugh. He laughs too.

"Sorry. It's true." He kisses my forehead and rolls over to shut off the lamp. I roll over on my side and close my eyes.

 _Snakelike blue eyes stare into mine, the fear spikes in my chest along with the realization of who the menacing eyes belong to. He opens his mouth to speak, but all that comes out is blood-scented breath. I gag, the horrid smell assaulting my nostrils._

" _Mrs. Odair, when will you stop lying to me?" He asks. I look around for a way out, but all I see is darkness._

" _What are you talking about?" I ask, playing dumb._

" _What I'm talking about is the fact that you lied to me and thought you could get away with it. When will you learn? Maybe at the expense of your baby…Maybe that's when you'll learn." He says, a playfully evil look flashes in his eyes. He backs up and I spot a small baby wrapped in a pink blanket in his arms._

 _He slides a silver blade from his pocket. He raises it in the air, the metal shining in the dim light. I then realize that it_ is _my baby in his arms. She has Finnick's eyes_

" _Get away from her!" I growl, my voice echoing through the pitch black._

" _Who's going to stop me?" He laughs. I look around once more. Finnick has to be around here. I look down and see Finnick's body crumpled and bloody at my feet. I clasp my hand across my mouth. I bend own and run my hand along his form. His lifeless form. My body starts to shake. I stand up and look at Snow, the anger burning through me._

" _I am. You're a dead man." I threaten, hatred dripping from my tone. He smiles and sticks the bald into my baby's chest. I let out a strangled cry. He drops my baby to the floor, a ruby red pool forming around the limp body. I look to Snow and lunge at him. He disappears into thin air like mist as soon as I reach him._

My eyes snap open. I feel the thin layer of sweat coating my whole body. I pant, trying to block the images from my brain. I can't help Finnick's dead body, and my baby's murder from playing before my eyes. I look over and see Finnick is not in bed. My heartrate spikes. I leap out of bed and swing the door open in a matter of seconds.

I run through the living room, and finally spot him lying on the couch, the TV on. I look at the screen and see a re-run of our wedding on. I walk over to Finnick and shake his shoulder.

"I wouldn't wake him up if I were you." I hear a voice behind me. I jump, a small squeal leaving my lips. My heart stops for a millisecond.

I see Luke sitting in a chair, his eyes bloodshot.

"What are you doing up?" I ask him, trying to catch my breath.

"I had a nightmare. Finnick was already up, so we chatted for a little." He says. Luke has nightmares? I wonder what they were about.

"Me too. That's actually why I came out here. To look for Finnick. I guess he's the nightmare person." I say, smiling weakly.

"You made a beautiful bride." Luke says, nodding to the television. I look over and see Finnick and I kiss at the altar.

"Not anymore?" I ask, smirking.

"No! That's not what I meant, you're gorgeous. I would marry you if I could." He stammers. I raise an eyebrow.

"No…That's not what I meant! Gosh…I meant you still look the same, I don't want to marry you, and you're taken. I'm not like that." He smacks his forehead.

"It's okay, I know what you meant." I chuckle. I pull out a chair and sit down.

"What were your nightmares about? Finnick's sleeping, and seeing as how we're both awake, and suffering from the same problem…" He trails off. I sigh. I can't tell Luke about the nightmares, which would raise too many questions about Snow. He is a kid, and he doesn't know if he's going to be alive in two weeks.

"It's nothing. What were yours about?" I ask.

"Tell me yours, I'll tell you mine." He smirks, and rest back in his chair, folding his hands over his stomach.

"Fine…It was about losing someone really close to me." I look at Finnick. I watch as his chest rises and falls slowly.

"Mine was about the arena. I died, and Rose killed me." He says. I look at him. His eyes are gentle, and a soft smile rests on his face.

"Don't worry about her, I'll get through to her." I say. Somehow I will, I just don't know how right now.

"Something must've happened to her to make her that hard hearted." He says softly. He sounds like Paul. Always thinking of other people. He reminds me so much of Paul, now that I think about it.

"You think so?" I question.

"Yes. No one is born that mean spirited." He tells me, his eyes closing.

"You are a very kind man, you know that. You remind me of someone…" I look down.

"Who? If you don't mind me asking." He asks.

"Paul. My District Partner. He is-was very kind hearted like you. Gentle. Always thinking of others." I say. His blue eyes find mine in the darkness.

"I'm very sorry for your loss. Can I say something?" He asks. I gesture out to him, telling him to go on.

"You looked so sad and broken after your Games. What's worse, dying, or witnessing all the horrible things in the arena and having to live with it?" He asks me. I sigh heavily.

"I don't know. It depends. I had Finnick. He helped me through it all. If you have that one person to go home to, that one person to keep living for, it makes it easier." I tell him.

"So does that mean I'm screwed?" His lip turns up.

"No. Not necessarily. You don't have anyone?" I ask him, a shocked expression on my face.

"Nope. Both of my parents are dead. I have my older brother, but he's never home." He says calmly, as if it's not a big deal.

"I'm sorry. My sister died when I was younger. My mom left, and my dad was a drunk. I pretty much raised myself." I confess. I feel like I can trust Luke, and I liked him from the start, but now that I'm getting to know him better, I like him even more.

"Oh wow. How did she die?" He asks me, leaning forward.

"A boat accident. I was with her. We were on our boat and there's was a really bad storm. She flew off the edge and never came back up." I tell him. Recognition flashes across his face.

"How long ago was this storm?" He asks, gaining more volume to his voice,

"Uh…Seven years ago." I say. His eyes widen.

"My parents died at sea seven years ago, due to a bad storm." He says, standing up.

"Really? That's so strange. Small world." I say, standing up.

"Wow…my parents and your sister died the same night in the same storm. How did you make it?" He asks.

"I don't know. I guess I got lucky." I shrug. Apparently we were being too loud, and woke Finnick up.

"What are you guys doing?" He asks groggily, rubbing his eyes.

"We were just chatting." Luke says, winking at me. I smile and look to Finnick.

"You ready to go bed?" I ask him, extending my hand to help him up.

"Yeah. Goodnight Luke." Finnick smiles, and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"How are you feeling? Did something wake you?" He whispers in my ear.

"Yeah. A nightmare, but I'm okay now. Talking to Luke really helped." I say.

"I really like him." Finnick says, walking into our room. I plop down on the bed.

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired." I say, falling back on the bed.

"I'm wide awake." He says, laying next to me.

"Finnick...Do you think I'll be a good mother?" I ask him.

"Absolutely. And just so you know, You're not doing this alone. I'm here." He says, Placing his hand over my stomach.

All my doubts disappear. Finnick and I will be good parents. Our love is proof of that. I close my eyes, and drift off, this time no nightmares.

 **A/N: Fun fact about this story...Well it's not fun at all, just kidding. My computer that had all my stories and stuff decided to crash, so as of right now, I lost everything. But it's okay. I have this handy-dandy laptop right here in which I can continue writing. When life gives you lemons...use your laptop instead. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Here's Chapter Three! Reviews would be great! Let me know what you guys think of my story line, and I'm open to suggestions in what you guys would like to see happen!**

Chapter Three:

Today we are in the Capitol. I remember the first time I visited the Capitol. I thought everyone was weird and out of their minds. Now, I'm so used to it, it doesn't even affect me anymore.

"Good morning gorgeous." I hear Finnick whisper in my ear. I open my eyes, and turn over. He looks at me with an expression of pure joy.

"Morning." I mutter and roll back over. He sighs. Suddenly the sheets are yanked off me. The cold air conditioning hits me. I shiver.

"Finnick, is this how you want to treat your wife that's carrying your baby?" I ask sarcastically. He rolls his eyes and walks over to his dresser.

Someone knocks on our door, frantically. I get up and run to the door, almost falling in the process. Finnick ducks into the bathroom. I open the door and see Mags standing there, a bright smile on her face.

"Mags!" I throw my arms around her. I pull back to look at her. She points to the room and my ring, and then shrugs her shoulders. I think she's asking where Finnick is.

"Where's Finnick? He's in the bathroom changing." I say. She nods in understanding. She points inside the room, and points to herself. She wants to go inside. I open the door wider, gesturing her to enter.

Mags lost her voice during my Games. That's why she didn't mentor with Finnick, and was at a special clinic.

"Mags, I have to tell you something." I say to her. I hear Finnick come out.

"Well Finnick and I have to tell you something." I correct myself. Mags looks between the two of us, a worried expression on her face.

"Mags, Nikki and I are having a baby. She's pregnant." He says, smiling. She clutches her chest, tears in her eyes. She gets up, and wraps Finnick and me in a tight hug. We pull away after a while, and she places her hand over my stomach. More silent tears run down her face.

"Mags, don't cry!" I throw my arm around her shoulders. She shakes her head, and points to her smile. Happy tears. I smile at her.

Finnick hugs Mags and wipes her tears.

"Let's go eat breakfast." He guides us out to the dining room. I spot Luke sitting down in the same chair as last night, sipping orange juice.

"Good morning Luke." I say, taking a seat next to him. Annie walks out of her bedroom, and sits down across from me. Finnick takes his seat next to Annie, considering Raquel has the head of the table, and Mags and Rose are sitting in the other chairs.

"Good morning." Luke smiles at me. I smile back. Finnick looks between the two of us and grabs a bowl of fruit.

"So how was everyone's sleep?" Raquel asks.

"I slept like a baby. But don't let that fool you. I'm tougher than nails." Rose says, smiling.

"I had a very nice sleep. After the nightmare anyway." Luke says, pushing eggs around on his plate.

"My sleep was the same. After the nightmare, I was fine." I say, sipping some tea.

"I didn't sleep." Annie mutters, pushing herself away from the table. Finnick sighs and gets up.

"Annie, I think we should talk about this." Finnick calls after her.

"Okay. Tributes, we will be in the Capitol very soon. Look presentable. Rose, could you try and be likeable?" Raquel says, a hint of utter disgust in her voice.

"They'll love me." She gets up and, marches to her room.

"I guess I should get ready." I say. Mags grabs my hand, and points to food, and then my stomach. She then cradles an imaginary baby.

"Oh. Right." I say, sitting down, grabbing some fruit, and pancakes.

"What?" Raquel asks, her voice ten octaves higher.

"I was going to announce this later, at a more appropriate time, but Finnick and I are having a baby." I say, a smile spreading across everyone's face.

"Oh!" Raquel squeals and jumps out of her seat and hugs my shoulders.

"Nikki! This is wonderful." She exclaims.

"Oh my goodness, wow. That's amazing. I'm so happy for you two!" Luke pats my shoulder.

"Thanks everyone." I say, shyly. I eat some more, and then I excuse myself to get ready. We pull up at the Capitol in a few minutes. I wonder where Finnick and Annie are, but I trust Finnick.

I walk into my room, and see Finnick sitting in the chair across the room, and Annie sitting on the bed, covering her ears.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I didn't realize you guys were in here." I say politely. Finnick gets up and places a hand on Annie's shoulder.

"It's okay Annie. You're here in the train with me, not in the arena." Finnick tells her. She slowly opens her eyes and lifts her hands form her ears.

"Sorry…." She apologizes, looking at me.

"Don't be, if you need to talk, I'm here." I tell her. She looks at me and nods.

"I'll leave you two alone." She says, glaring at my abdomen before leaving.

"What was that?" I ask Finnick, pointing back to where Annie just left.

"We just talked about everything. About why I left her, and how you and I happened. It felt awkward to talk about all the details with her, but she needed that. We're in a better place now. I also told her about our baby." He says. So that explains the glare.

"Oh. Well that's good." I say. I walk over to my dresser and get dressed in a blue dress. I look at myself in the mirror. I see a small difference in my stomach. There's a slight bump. I rest my hands over it. My baby is in there.

"You are glowing." Finnick whispers in my ear, and places his hands on my small bump.

"Liar." I tease. I kiss his cheek. He shakes his head. The train stops moving.

"We're here." Finnick grabs my hand, and when we walk out, everyone is already crowded around in a semi-circle around the doors.

"Ready? Smiles on, backs straight, and eyes bright." Raquel orders. I grab Finnick's hand and we all walk out in a group. The tributes in the front, then the Victors, the escort, and lastly, the prep teams.

The crowds go crazy, howling, snapping pictures, cheering, and waving flags. I squint at all the neon colors. Luke looks back at me, and raises his eyebrows. I stifle a giggle.

We are escorted into the training center, where the tributes get ready for the chariot ride. I see a woman with blue tinted skin, and white hair waiting for Luke. I then see a woman with orange hair and pink skin waiting for Rose.

"Do I have to go with these freaks? I swear I am not coming out of that room looking like that!" Rose says, jabbing a thumb back at her stylist.

"Rose, come on. Society is different in the Capitol." Luke tries to explain to her.

"I don't care. My skin is not becoming a color of the rainbow." She crosses her arms.

"They aren't allowed to make any alterations to you." I say gently, trying to calm the situation.

"Oh please, you're brainwashed just like everyone else is. I don't like this place. If you weren't knocked up, I'd so take you down. One less self-absorbed Victor to deal with." She snaps at me, her green eyes furious. I take a step back, shocked. What does she mean brainwashed?

"Hey! You need to calm down. You want to win? Then shut your mouth and maybe then people will sponsor you. The rate you're going, people will want to get rid of you as fast as they can. How can a young girl like you be so cruel and horrid? What happened to you?" Finnick says, towering over her, his tone menacing.

"That's none of your business." She whispers. Just as I suspected. Underneath that icy exterior, is just a scared girl with a screwed up life.

"I think it's best if you would go in there and let them get you ready. It's not that bad." I tell her. She looks to me, and in a split second I see fear flash in those hard eyes of hers.

"It's okay. Trust me." I walk over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shies away from my touch and walks with her stylist into the room. Luke willingly goes into the room with his stylist.

"That was good. You're a great Mentor." Finnick compliments me.

"Thanks. Learned from the best." I kiss him. He wraps his arm around my waist, and we follow both of our stylists to our own room where we get ready. Since Finnick and I are married, and we're not tributes, we get to get ready in the same room. I see Shardenia, Finnick's head stylist waiting for him, and Lavendaria waiting for me.

"How do you manage to be around that vile bi-" Lavendaria starts to say.

"She's just a scared girl under all the confidence." I cut her off. She shakes her head and starts her work on my face.

When she's done, I see purple and black smudged on my eyelids and the usual long eyelashes and eyeliner. My skin looks shimmery, and glowing.

"I'm so happy for you by the way. I know you're pregnant. Silvarius spilled to me and Quinton." She says, smiling.

"Thank you. I'm excited. I can't wait for the baby to arrive. I want to meet her already." I gush.

"Her?" She asks, wiping off makeup brushes.

"Well I think. Finnick thinks it's a boy." I say.

"That's because it is!" Finnick calls from his chair across the room.

"No it's not!" I yell back at him. Lavendaria laughs lightly, and moves out of the way for Quinton to come running out, and hug me.

"You're having a baby! I can't handle this." Quinton yells.

"I knew you'd be ecstatic." I joke. He smiles and then starts brushing my hair, fashioning it into a simple up-do.

"Now go get dressed, Silvarius made a gorgeous dress for you." Quinton helps me up and pushes me along into the wardrobe room.

I see Finnick dressed into a dark suit, with a purple tie. My eyes then spot the mannequin with a sparkly floor-length purple gown with a deep V in the top, and sleeves on it.

"Wow. This is beautiful." I breathe.

"Thank you. I tightened the waist a bit, to emphasize your baby bump." She says, smiling. I chuckle, undressing. She helps me step into the dress. Surprisingly, the dress feels weightless.

"You ready?" Finnick asks, while Silvarius places my feet in silver flats. No one will see them because the dress covers them.

"Yes." I say. He gives me his arm bent at the elbow to grab. I slide my arm through his, and we walk out.

We walk into a hallway, and enter a huge room with all the chariots and mentors standing around. I see Annie dressed in a short green dress standing by the horses on our districts chariot.

Mags is standing next to her in a silver dress similar to the one at my wedding. I wave at her, and she waves back smiling.

"You look gorgeous. I can't believe you're really my wife." Finnick whispers in my ear.

"Oh hush. You're far easier on the eyes than I am." I say. It's true.

"That's only because you shine brighter than me." He winks. I roll my eyes.

"Cheesy." I mock. He laughs and pulls me along to where Rose and Luke are. They just made it to the chariot.

"Wow…Nikki you look amazing." Rose says. My mouth drops open. Did she just compliment me?

"Thank you. You look very nice. See not so bad?" I tell her. She's dressed in a mermaid get up. A white sparkling band covers her chest, and then a shiny green 'tail' covers her legs. Gems of blue and green decorate patterns on her arms and stomach. Her makeup is excessive, making her unrecognizable. Luke has the same shiny green tail, only more masculine. His abs and arms are very much defined, I didn't realize how strong he was until now. I look away. They hop on the chariot, and look to me.

"What?" I ask dumbly.

"Do you have any advice for us? Hello? You're mentoring us." Rose whines.

"Oh. Uh…" I start.

"Make them feel like they know you. Stand out, and make yourself look strong and confident. That shouldn't be too hard for you Rose." Finnick says. Annie smirks and walks over to Raquel, who's studying a clipboard.

"Alright it's time." Annie calls, after taking a quick look at the schedule.

Their chariots lurch forward. Neither Luke nor Rose move in the slightest. I remember I nearly fell off, if Paul hadn't been there, I would've. A pang of pain goes through my heart. Exactly a year ago Paul and I were on those chariots, waving to the crowd.

"We should walk to the next room." Finnick says, snapping me out of my déjà vu.

"Right." We walk hand in hand to other side of the hall. This trip will be tough not only because of Annie and mentoring Luke and Rose, but because everywhere I look there will be reminders of Paul. I take in a deep breath and squeeze Finnick's hand.

 **A/N: I'm thinking of writing a superhero story after this one, would any of you want to read that? It won't be like a regular Marvel or DC superhero, more of a 'Heroes' type thing. For those of you who don't know, 'Heroes' is a television show. It's on Netlfix. .Ever.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so sorry it took me forever to update this! I've been really busy, but here is chapter 4. I'm sorry that nothing exciting happened in this chapter, next chapter will be exciting, I swear.**

Chapter Four:

I sink myself into the steamy water. The foam bubbles smelling of lavender permeate the air, relaxing me. I rest my head back and close my eyes. The chariot rides were awful. Rose flexed the whole time, and Luke waved and smiles friendly. They couldn't look more divided out there. The crowd would rather sponsor two District partners that appear as a team, rather than sponsor those who appear to not like each other. All they want is drama. A love story. Clearly they can't play lovers. What if… They promise a good fight? That won't be fair to Luke though.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Finnick asks, sitting on the edge of the bath.

"I was just thinking about our strategy. To get them sponsors. Frankly, it's giving me a headache." I say, rubbing my temples.

"Don't think too hard, pretty lady. Let me be the thinker. I have a plan formulating." He says, smiling softly.

"I feel so drained. Walking around for a million years, and posing for pictures, and answering small questions just make me tired." I sigh, closing my eyes again.

"Yeah, being pregnant doesn't help. Hey… Um…Can we talk?" He asks me. I crack open an eye. He sounds serious.

"Yeah, of course. You don't have to ask me that." I say, sitting forward, causing some soapy water to spill over the side.

"I remember we had a conversation a while ago about kids. You said that you were afraid to have kids, and that you didn't want to. How do you feel now?" He asks, looking up at me through his eyelashes. I freeze. I do remember saying something along those lines. I remember the nightmare I had of my baby and Snow. I shiver.

"I…I don't know. I would prefer to bring a child into a world where Snow didn't exist, but he does, and we are having a baby." I say. He closes his eyes tight.

"So you're saying you don't want it." He says. I reach my hand out and place it over his.

"No. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that we are going to have fight extra hard to protect our baby. Especially with Snow hot on our trail." I explain. He opens his eyes. He exhales in relief.

"I thought you were going to say that you wanted to terminate the pregnancy. I was about to have a heart attack. I'm so excited about this. You have no idea." He rushes out. He leans forward and places his lips to mine. I smile, and pull him forward by his collar, pulling him in the bath. He falls in, splashing the water everywhere, and getting soaking wet. I start giggling right away. He glares at me, and crosses his arms.

"You are going to wish you never did that." He says lowly. Staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you gonna do? I'm pregnant." I quip.

"I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." He says. My smile of victory falls. I know that the nightmares will surely plague me tonight if I sleep alone.

"No. Finnick. Please, I'll have another nightmare." I plead. He looks at me, and thinks for a second.

"Fine. Let's go." He stands up, the water dripping from his clothes in a steady stream.

We dry off, and then snuggle close in the large bed. He glides his fingers lightly over my arm.

"I love you. I can't believe that this is our life." He breathes.

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.

"I mean, we are famous, went through hell, there's always so much going on. I wonder what it would be like if we were normal." He clarifies.

"Oh. I don't know. I'd probably be wallowing in grief still. If it weren't for the Games, and the dire circumstances we were under that forced me to be strong, I'm not sure we'd be as happy as we are now." I say, my eyelids growing heavy.

"I love how you think about everything so deeply." He says, kissing my temple.

"Thanks." I laugh. I feel his hand on my stomach. I drift off to sleep.

I open my eyes slowly. I see the room is pitch black. I clutch the empty sheets. Finnick's not here. I sit up fast, and immediately regret it. I feel the nausea spinning around in my stomach. I jump out of bed and sprint to the bathroom. I make it just in time for my stomach fluids to present themselves.

"Uh…" I groan. I place a hand to my forehead and close my eyes. I'm still tired, but I know I won't be able to fall back asleep without Finnick. I push myself up off the cold white tiles, and wander down the hallway. The penthouse looks the same as last year. I pause in the living room, and look at the dining area. The memory of me knocking over the vase, and cutting my hand with Paul plays before my eyes.

"What are you doing?" I hear a loud voice echo through the empty room. I jump and look to my left where the sound came from. I see Annie sitting in a chair in the corner.

"I was just looking for Finnick. Have you seen him?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"I want to apologize." She says randomly. I notice her eyes are red.

"About what?" I ask dumbly. I sift through the past few days and can't think of anything that she did wrong.

"For causing so much drama. Especially at the wedding. I just have a hard time letting go." She whispers. She looks down at her hands and plays with a ring on her middle finger.

"Don't apologize. You don't have to be sorry for your feelings. No one should. There's a reason that we have feelings and I don't blame you. I'd be heartbroken if it were reversed." I say, inching closer.

"Being here holds so many memories. Good and bad. I don't know if I can continue mentoring. It's not like you guys need me. Rose is stubborn and won't listen to anyone, and Luke likes you more than any of us." She says, sniffling. I feel for her.

"Don't say that. You just haven't connected with Luke yet, and I don't think there is any use in connecting with Rose since it's nearly impossible." I laugh. She smiles weakly at that.

"I think it's best if I go back to bed. After the chariot rides, it's time to train. Big day tomorrow." She says, and walks off in the dark towards her room.

A lot has happened to Annie, and I truly do feel bad for her. I've come to the conclusion that she's not so bad. I walk over to the windows and look out on the city. Lights glimmer across the whole landscape. I wonder how much the electric bill is for all those buildings. I think for a moment about my conversation with Annie, and I feel like she's not all that bad. Maybe it won't be as horrible as I thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

 **Luke's POV**

I open my eyes, nearly blinded by the bright streams of sunlight pouring in through the window. Today I think we are going to train in the training room with all the other Tributes. Wonderful.

"It's time to rise and shine! We have one hour until you have to be downstairs for training!" Raquel says, too excited for the morning. I roll out of bed and decide a nice warm shower will soothe my nerves.

I shouldn't be nervous. I know that our Mentors will help us as much as they can, and to be honest, they've already won the Games. They can definitely guide us toward the way to victory.

After washing up, and looking presentable, I walk out to the dining room. I see Nikki and Finnick sitting at one end, talking quietly amongst themselves. To their right, I see Mags eating oatmeal slowly and Annie sipping orange juice. Raquel is at the head of the table studying a page in her schedule.

"Good morning everyone." I say kindly, and take a seat next to Nikki. She looks over at me with her bright green eyes, and smiles warmly. Man, that smile will be the death of me. I don't understand how someone who's gone through so much pain, and loss can smile like that.

"Good morning Luke, how was your night? Any nightmares?" She asks. I look over to Finnick who's pushing bacon around his plate.

"No nightmares. How about you?" I ask. Finnick looks up to her expectantly.

"None. Just throw up though." She comments, wrinkling her nose.

"What?" I question. Did she dream of throw up or did she actually throw up?

"Morning sickness. From the baby. Which reminds me, Finnick and I are heading down to the infirmary to check up on everything going on with the baby." She gushes. I smile faintly. They are so happy right now. I wish I had an ounce of that joy.

"Oh! How exciting! Let me know _everything_ when you guys get back!" Raquel trills. Nikki nods at her. Mags gives them a toothless grin, and Annie closes her eyes tight, and covers her ears. I wonder if I'll turn into that if I win the Games.

Rose strolls out of her room, a sour look on her face. Great. What will it be today?

"I am not happy. It's way too early. I need my beauty sleep!" She whines, plopping down in her chair.

"That's for sure." I hear Nikki mutter under her breath. I chuckle lowly.

"What's so funny?" Rose snaps at me.

"Your face. You're not right about much, but when you say you need beauty sleep, you're not kidding." I shoot back. She rolls her eyes and digs in to the piles of food around us. I do the same.

The rest of breakfast went relatively nice. Everyone chats peacefully, I like this crowd. They are so nice, and everyone is so interesting. Except Rose. She's just obnoxious.

"Alright Tributes. If you would come with me, we can head down there." Raquel announces.

"Any last words of advice?" I ask.

"Don't let them see your strengths or weaknesses." Nikki comments.

"Watch them. Observe what they can and can't do." Finnick adds.

Mags and Annie agree with what the power couple said. I nod and wave at them one last time. Raquel escorts Rose and me down to the training room. This should be interesting.

 **Finnick's POV**

I slide my hand into Nikki's. I squeeze her hand lightly and walk out down the door, towards the infirmary.

"Remember the last time we were here and walking to the infirmary?" Nikki asks, smiling.

"Yeah. I do. You had cut your hand wicked late at night." I remember, smiling to myself. I was so jealous that night since she was up so late with Paul. At the time I tried to convince myself nothing was happening and that he didn't think of her like that. Recent events, or letters, has proven that I was false for thinking that.

"Yeah. It was the night we were honest about our feelings, and grew closer." She comments. She leans into my arm, her head resting just below my shoulder. We walk in silence towards the infirmary.

Once we push past the white double doors, Nikki clutches my arm with her free hand. I forgot she doesn't really like hospitals.

"It's okay." I whisper to her. I spot the nurse at the front desk. I pull her forward with me.

"Hi, I'm here for an appointment. Finnick and Nikki Odair." I say kindly with a smile. The nurse looks up at me, and looks back down, blushing.

"Uh…Yes. Right through that door. Dr. Forest will see you." She stutters. I nod at her, and walk towards the door she pointed out. Nikki scoffs beside me.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"Did you really have to charm her?" She asks, raising her eyebrows. My eyes grow wide, and my mouth opens.

"Charm her?" I ask, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Poor woman." She shakes her head.

"I'm sorry I'm so irresistible?" I apologize sarcastically.

"Whatever Odair. Just keep walking." She smiles brightly at me. I roll my eyes, pushing open the stupid door.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Forest, I will be examining your wife. This way." A tall man with dark hair and light brown eyes says, finishing his signature on a paper. I almost don't like him.

"So when exactly did you find out you were pregnant?" Dr. Hot-Shot asks.

"Uh...Two or three days?" Nikki says, unsure.

"Alright. I'm going to take some blood form you and then take a look at the baby. Depending on how many weeks pregnant you are, I might be able to find out the gender." He says, flashing her a bright smile. She nods and takes a seat on the examination table.

"You'll feel a small pinch. It won't hurt." He says, taking a needle and pushing it through her skin. Her hand tightens in mine, and she closes her eyes. The once clear tube now runs red. I watch as her blood goes through the tube, and into a small vial.

"Okay. I'll send this to the lab, and I'll be right back." He says, removing the tube.

"Thank God that's over." She breathes. I chuckle. I rub comforting circles on the back of her hand.

"I can't wait to find out about our baby in there." I say. She nods and kisses me. I wrap my arms around her, and hug her. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost her..

"Okay, that will be at the lab for a little, so…" Dr. Forest says. I unwind my arms from around her.

"Sorry about that. Uh…Now I will use this to look at the baby." He gestures towards a screen with a wand attached. Nikki lays back. The Doctor lifts up her shirt to expose her stomach. I didn't notice it before, but there is definitely a defined baby bump there.

"Okay this will be a little cold." He squirts some gel on her stomach. She flinches at the cold substance. He presses some keys and moves around the wand. I hear a loud thumping noise. I then realize that it's our baby's heartbeat.

"Look, there is your baby." He points to the screen, showcasing a small baby. I move in closer to get a better look. Wow…That's our baby. It looks so small. So fragile. So vulnerable…

"Yup. Definitely has my eyes." I joke, sitting back in my chair. Nikki giggles. When she laughed, the baby moved its tiny arms up. I'm already in love.

"You are in week 10. So your baby has just developed eyelids, outer ears, more defined facial features, the intestines are rotated, and at the end of this week, your baby will no longer be an embryo. It is now considered at fetus." The Doctor informs us.

"Can you tell the gender? And how am I ten weeks pregnant? Wouldn't I have been feeling sick earlier? How could I have not known?" Nikki bombards Dr. Forest with questions.

"Every pregnancy is different. I can assure you everything is normal and healthy. I won't be able to tell the sex of the baby until weeks 11-14. We can schedule an appointment the week after next week, and see." He answers all her questions calmly.

"Okay. I can't wait. Is there anything I should know, or do differently?" She asks, never taking her eyes off the screen.

"No smoking, alcohol, heavy lifting, and I'm going to prescribe you some vitamins to help with the baby. But other than that, everything's looking great. Also try not to get too stressed out. I know that you are mentoring this year, so I would suggest not getting too stressed and worried about that." He instructs her. Yeah right. Nikki not getting too worried about others? Does he know who he's talking to? She nods.

"Alright, until next week!" He smiles brilliantly and then exits the room. I get up and grab a paper towel and hand it to Nikki to wipe off the gel.

"Finnick, I can't believe that was our baby. It's so…" She trails off, cleaning her stomach and pulling down her shirt.

"Small and vulnerable?" I add. She nods. I grab her hand, and we walk in silent joy to the waiting room. It's too real. I'm going to be a father. To a little tiny baby. They're going to depend on me, I'm going to have to care for them until they can do that on their own. I hope I'm not going to end up like my dad. Dead. Too early. All because I didn't listen to Snow.

I wonder if Snow knows. Who am I kidding? He probably already does. I can't imagine the thought of Snow hurting our baby. I swear if he even comes close to the baby, I will kill him.

"Here you go, Mr. and Mrs. Odair." The blushing nurse from before says, handing Nikki and I a picture. I look closer and see it's a picture of what was on the screen. Our baby.

"Thank you." I say, she nods quickly and runs back behind the desk.

Nikki and I walk back to the room, staring at the picture the whole time. We talk about who the baby looks like.

"I swear that's my nose." She points out. I laugh.

"Keep dreaming." I say, sticking my tongue out. We open the door, and spot our prep teams lounging around the living room.

"Hey guys." Nikki greets them. They greet us back, in their usual over excited manner.

"Guess where we just got back from?" I say, a smile stretched across my face.

"Where?" Quinton questions.

"The infirmary. Do you guys want to see our baby?" Nikki says, excited and happy.

"What?!" Silvarius exclaims, jumping up. Everyone pushes themselves off the couch and crowds around Nikki.

"Oh my goodness! Nikki!" Lavendaria exclaims, throwing her arms around my wife.

"I can't even deal with this. It's too cute." Silvarius says, studying the picture. She looks sort of sad.

"I know. I can't either." Nikki says, placing a hand on her shoulder.

This is such a precious moment. Everyone sharing the same excitement, joy, and love that Nikki and I are. This baby will be so loved, and cherished. It won't have a biological family except for me and Nikki and Dad, but it _will_ have a large family. A family full of people that are close to our hearts, people that we chose to be family.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six:

Today is the day the tributes get ready for the interview. I am on strict no-mentor duty. Ever since Dr. Dreamy told Finnick that Mentoring wasn't a great idea, he's been overprotective. Not just about that, but with everything. I'm surprised he lets me pee alone.

"Here is your breakfast." Finnick walks in, closing the door with his foot. He carries the tray full of food to the bed.

"Finnick…This is crazy." I comment. He shrugs his shoulders.

"I want to take care of you. And that little one in there." He nods towards my baby bump. It has grown since the appointment. I'm not too fond of the size of my stomach, but I remind myself that it's the baby.

"Finnick…Do you think I'm… Never mind." I shy away from the question I was going to ask.

"No, tell me. You can tell me anything. You know that." He says, erasing my doubts of asking him.

"Do you think I'm unattractive?" I say. Saying it out loud makes me feel even more stupid.

"That is the most ridiculous question you have ever asked. I think that you are gorgeous. Every time I look at you, my heart stops. I see such happiness, such love, and such familiarity. I know you must be feeling unattractive because of the baby bump, but you honestly look amazing. Pregnancy suits you." He tells me. I look into his light sea green eyes and know he's being honest.

"Come here." I tell him, smiling. He leans in, supporting his weight on his fists. I wrap my arm around his neck and pull him in for a kiss.

We dig in, sitting next to each other on the bed, chatting.

"Finnick, you will need to start getting ready, and Nikki, you need to go down to wardrobe for a fitting." Raquel says, peeking her head in. I sigh. Finnick lifts the tray off the bed. I get out of bed, and Finnick rushes around the bed and grabs my hand. I roll my eyes.

"This is overkill. I'm not about to give birth, you can relax." I tell him. He waves off my comment and walks me down to wardrobe. Finnick walks over to his prep team and I walk into the wardrobe room.

"Hey! How are you?" Silvarius jumps up, giving me a hug.

"I'm fine. Finnick won't leave me alone for two seconds." I say, laughing. She smiles and shakes her head.

"So I need to measure that baby bump of yours." She says, placing a ribbon with numbers marked on it, around my stomach.

"You're not that big. It just feels bigger because you're not used to it." She comments. This makes me feel a tad bit better.

"Well, I will make the adjustments to your dress. Head over to Lavendaria." She directs me. I walk out and see Lavendaria at the makeup station.

"Hey." I greet her.

"Hey, how is everything?" She asks.

"Good! Finnick is being his over-protective self." I tell her. She gives me a knowing smile.

"Yeah, that's to be expected." She tells me. She begins working on my face. When she's done, I see that she went light on the makeup. My green eyes are framed by thick, dark lashes. She kept my eyeshadow white, and accentuated my crease with a brown eyeshadow. My brows are shaped to perfection and my lips are painted a ruby red. Very vintage.

"Quinton doesn't feel well, so I will be doing your hair." She states. I shoot her a confused look, but she shrugs. She doesn't know either.

"He was complaining that his stomach wasn't feeling too well. I haven't heard from him all day." She explains. I feel uneasy. Something doesn't feel right.

Lavendaria starts curling my hair, and pinning it back. Soon enough, my hair is pulled back into a sophisticated up-do.

"Thank you, this looks amazing." I thank her. I spot Finnick from the corner of my eye. He adjusts his black jacket in the floor-length mirror.

I see a few of the buttons of his white shirt are unbuttoned, and his usually neat hair is tousled. I walk towards wardrobe, and see Silvarius straightening a gray-ish purple dress on a mannequin.

Something feels weird. Something's not right. My vision gets blurry around the edges. I feel like I'm floating. Like this is a dream. The last thing I hear is Finnick yelling.

 **Finnick's POV**

I see Nikki looking around. Something's off about her. I finish straightening my jacket, and look at her. She sways from side to side on her feet. I walk towards her, in case she falls. I see her beginning to fall back. I run to her and catch her just in time.

"Somebody call the infirmary! We need a doctor!" I yell. Lavendaria bolts to the phone attached to the wall. Nikki's eyes stay closed.

"Nikki…Nikki!" I shake her. She stays limp in my arms. My efforts of waking her are futile. I look around wildly, trying to find the cause of this. I look back to her makeup station and see a glass of water, with her lipstick smudged on the edge. Next to it, under the napkin, I see a cream colored card sticking out.

The medics rush over, and take her out of my arms, placing her on a board. They lift her onto the bed. Everything goes by in slow motion.

"Lavendaria, get that card!" I yell. She looks around until she spots it under the napkin. She opens it. I stand up, and garb onto the railing. She covers her mouth, her eyes wide.

They start moving the bed. I need to find out what was on that card. Lavendaria runs after us, until a peacekeeper stops her.

"Snow did this! He wrote 'Here's some déjà vu. You gets points if you can remember where it's from. Hint- I don't think you'll be able to remember much." She rushes out before the peacekeepers kick her. She drops the floor. I want to run back and help, but I can't leave her. What the hell does he mean? She won't be able to remember much? All I know is that Snow hurt her. And possibly my baby, and for that, he will pay.

 **Nikki POV**

Everything is so bright. Like the earth moved closer to the sun. I feel Finnick roll over next to me. I look over my shoulder, and see him sleeping. That face. So peaceful. I exhale. Life doesn't get better than this. I look to the windows, showing the ocean. I have to look away, it is way too bright. My eyes sting for a moment. Wait…The Ocean? Why are we here? What happened to the Games?!

"Good morning, beautiful." He says, smiling. I look down and see that his bright green eyes are looking down on me.

"Morning." I reply, smiling. He leans down and kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck.

"Why are we here?" I ask. He laughs lightly.

"Because we want to be." He says.

"What happened? What day is it?" I ask, my heart beginning to accelerate.

"Does it matter? We're here together." He tells me.

"Finnick….This isn't like you. You should be freaking out, we don't know where we are!" I blow up, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Relax…All that matters is that we're together." He says, sitting up.

"No. This isn't real." I say. I get up, and walk downstairs. We're at home…but there are no clocks. We have no concept of time here. Am I dead? No. That would mean Finnick's dead too.

I jolt upright. I start choking. Somethings in my throat. I panic, I can't breathe. I look down and see a tube down my throat, a bag attached. The nurse takes the tape off, and slowly slides the tube out. I cough frantically. I look around and see a bunch of doctors around me.

"Mrs. Odair…How are you feeling?" Dr. Dreamy asks me.

"I'm…My chest hurts. What happened?" I ask in a hoarse voice.

"Your heart stopped. We had to bring you back. You passed out in hair and makeup…" He says, trailing off. Something happened. They're not telling me.

"What's wrong? Spit it out." I snap.

"I'm afraid your baby…didn't make it. Your heart stopped for three minutes. The baby was without oxygen, it couldn't survive." He tells me. I let out a breath, like the wind got knocked out of me.

"The baby…" I cover my face. My baby is dead…I won't see him or her ever again. That baby that was on the screen will never be born, it won't grow up, and I will never hold it in my arms. The burning tears form in my eyes, and spill over. My heart sinks. I did this. The thing Finnick wanted most, I killed. He must be so angry with me. That's why he's not here. He's so angry with me…

 **Finnick POV**

The adrenaline pumps through my system. My heart is racing. All I see is red. That son of a…He deserves what's coming to him, and much, much more. I vowed to myself that if he ever harmed my wife or my baby I would kill him. And that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I bust open the doors to his 'secret' room he stays in while the Games go on. I bet he didn't think I knew about his hiding place, did he?

He spins around in his chair, his snakelike eyes wide with shock.

"Did you seriously think I wouldn't find the damn card?" I yell. His lips form a smug smile.

"So I take it your wife and baby are gone…? What a shame. I liked Nikki, despite our differences. She was much more fun to look at then that Annie character, wouldn't you agree?" He sneers.

"You son of a gun!" I lunge at him, knocking us over. I punch him square in the jaw. I'm blind with rage. I clamp my hands down on his throat.

"This is for my baby!" I yell, squeezing tighter.

"This is for my wife!" I close my hands around his skinny little throat harder.

"And this…This is for all the tributes that have died in the arena!" My hands feel like a vice around his throat. His face turns red, and then purple. I see the fear in his eyes. I relish in the sight of him being afraid for his life for once.

I feel peacekeepers grab me hard by the shoulders, and whack me with their clubs. My breath gets knocked out of me, but I don't care. Whatever happens next, it was worth seeing him like that. It was worth actually being able to put that fear in him. He's not as untouchable as he thinks.

One more blow to the head sends me in unconsciousness.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! I appreciate it. Here is chapter seven. I decided to add in a little scene from the honey moon since I didn't write it, and it was requested. Thank you all and keep on reviewing!**

Chapter Seven:

I stare up at the blank ceiling of the hospital. I've been in here for two days. Not once have I seen or heard from Finnick. No one has. This crushed him. Losing his son or daughter before he even had the chance to find out which one it was- crushed him. Does he think I did this on purpose? I know he had doubts about me even wanting kids…What if the reason he's so angry is because he thinks I murdered our child?

"How are you?" Raquel pokes her head in. I stare at her for a while. Her usual giddiness is not present. Her blue eyes stare at me with such sympathy. I don't want it. I don't want anyone feeling pity for me. I don't deserve it.

"I'm fine." I croak. She looks to the windows. The blinds are tightly closed.

"Maybe if you let in some light…" She wonders.

"No. It hurts my eyes." I shoot out. Her sad blue eyes find mine again.

"Honey, I'm sure he will show up. He's probably.." She starts.

"No! Just stop. I don't want him in here even if he showed up. He's so furious with me, I can't look at him. I don't think I could bear his anger. Not after this..." I interject, the tears choking out my words. She nods. She walks over cautiously and pours me a cup of water.

"What's going on with the tributes? When I passed out, it was the interview, and it's been two days. How are they?" I ask. She sighs heavily.

"The crowd adores Luke. However, Rose on the other hand…No one is going to sponsor her. She's rude to everyone. She doesn't even try to hide it. She scored a 5 in her individual training. Luke scored a 9. They both survived their first night in the arena. Mags and Annie are taking over as Mentors." She says informatively.

"Oh. Okay." I cough out. My throat feels like sandpaper, despite the medicine and water I've been given.

"I'm going to go find Finnick. Luke and Rose need him." She says quietly before leaving. Them and me both.

I close my eyes tight, trying to keep the tears back in my eyes. All of a sudden I hear a knock at the door.

"Come in." I whisper. Dr. Forest walks in.

"Hello, Mrs. Odair. I'm just checking in." He says. I nod.

"I think you should get up, and walk around. It's good exercise. You've been in bed for three days straight." He tells me, glancing at the monitors I'm hooked up to.

"Okay." I say, pushing myself up into a sitting position.

He unhooks all the wires, and extends a hand for me to take. I grasp his hand gently. It's nothing compared to Finnick's warm hand. I sigh. I swing my legs over, and stand up.

"A nurse will bring you lunch at twelve. Be sure to come back before then." He reminds me. I nod.

I walk slowly out of the room. I don't know where to go. I just wander aimlessly through the empty halls. I pass by a peacekeeper every now and then. I wonder what it's like to have your own personal army.

I had to get out of that room. It was depressing. Being stuck in there with my thoughts to haunt me is just... I suddenly feel a cold hand grab my shoulder. I turn and see a peacekeeper.

"Mrs. Odair, your husband has been found. Follow me." He says mechanically. What does he mean by 'has been found'? Was he missing? _I_ clearly hadn't seen him, but I just assumed he was in the room, or wandering off around the building. I follow the peacekeeper into a hospital room.

My eyes automatically land on him. He's wrapped up in bandages from head to toe, deep purple bruises peek through some of the white linen. He looks so broken. My hand flies up to cover my mouth, which is wide open in shock.

"What the hell happened to him?!" I shout. I sprint to his bedside and grab his hand. He doesn't even feel the same. He feels cold. Rigid.

"We found him on the second balcony. I'm afraid your husband tried to kill himself. He jumped. The doctors did everything they could do to save him. Unfortunately, he is in a coma." A chillingly familiar voice rings through the metal room. My head swivels around to spot President Snow standing in the doorway.

"Kill himself? He wouldn't…" I begin. I notice he has bandages wrapped on his nose, and over his left eye. He watches the shock flash in my eyes. What happened to him?

"I tried stopping him…But he was very…resistant. He said that he couldn't live with what you did to his baby." He says, stepping towards me. Finnick did that?! Something doesn't add up. Why would Snow try to get him off the ledge? I don't believe his story for one second.

"Liar. Finnick would never do something like that." I spit at him. Finnick would never try to kill himself.

"You're right. _I_ killed your baby, _and_ put your husband in a coma. Do you realize how absurd that sounds?" He questions me.

"Yeah, because rallying up children and watching them kill each other on a screen and making the winner have sex with citizens is completely sane, right?" I shoot back at him.

"No need to get angry, Mrs. Odair. There is a possibility that he could wake up." He says. I study his face. He's bluffing. He pulls out a syringe with a clear liquid inside from his pocket.

"They say if he's administered a certain drug, he could wake from the coma." He says, waving the syringe around. They did this to Finnick. They put him in a coma. This must be what Snow had in mind when he said there will be repercussions.

"I will give him the drug, all you have to do is listen to me. Since you disobeyed me the first time, I'm going to give you a second chance." He says. This is what I've been dreading.

"What?" I ask, my tone sharp.

"You will serve two clients. They have to be completely satisfied, or else." He says, his piercing snake-like eyes boring into my green orbs.

"Or else what, you sick-" I start.

"See that plug in the corner? That's keeping your beloved alive. I could easily walk over and rip it out of the wall, ending his life." He cuts me off. I glance behind me and sure enough, a gray plug runs from a monitor connected to Finnick, to the wall. I'm trapped.

"Give him the medicine first, and I promise you I will perform." I say, defeated. He stares at me for a while.

"How can I be sure? You could run off with him the moment he wakes up." He says, smirking.

"I promise you, I won't. Just don't hurt him. I've lost my baby, I can't lose him too." I say desperately. He nods his head.

"Wait outside. You can look through the window." He says. I look back to Finnick. What did they do to you? I think towards him, as if he could hear me. I place a gentle kiss to his forehead. I glare at Snow as I leave.

I stand outside, watching through the window. Two peacekeepers stand on either side of the door. Snow walks over, and sticks the needle in Finnick's arm. I wait impatiently. A few minutes go by, and Finnick's eyes flutter. I run to the door, but the peacekeepers stop me.

"Let me go see him!" I shout.

"We had a deal…" Snow sneers from inside the room. I glare at him. If looks could kill.

 **Finnick's POV**

I see Nikki sitting on the edge of our bed. I smile. The sunlight streams through the open windows, and illuminates her golden brown hair. I walk over to her, and bend down so I'm eye level with her.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask her. I place my finger under her chin, lifting her face towards mine.

"Finnick, what if you don't…" She trails off, sighing.

"What if I don't what?" I ask her. She wraps her arms tighter around herself.

"What if you don't find me…sexually…" She buries her head in my shoulder. I stifle a chuckle. She doesn't know if I'm sexually attracted to her. That's completely absurd.

"Nikki…I know that you've never been with anyone before, and I understand the nerves, but you have no reason to worry. You are by far the most beautiful girl I have ever seen, and I don't think it's possible for a man to not be attracted to you in that way. Unless they swing the other way." I say, reassuring her. She looks up at me, and smiles at me.

"I love you." She says. I grin back at her. Her bright green eyes stare into mine. I lean in and kiss her. She wraps her arms around my neck. I push us back on the bed. I hover over her and wink. She lifts my shirt over my head. She runs her hands down my chest.

"Have I ever told you how much I love looking you shirtless?" She says.

"I bet not as much as I love looking at you shirtless." I smirk. Her eyes widen, and she smacks my shoulder.

"That was one time! And I was drunk!" She exclaims. I chuckle and lean down to kiss her neck. I hook my fingers under her shirt, and begin lifting it. I caress her smooth skin.

"Finnick…" She places her hand on top of mine.

"Yes?" I ask. She takes a deep breath. She stares at me for a moment, and crushes her lips to mine. She takes off her shirt, and pulls me down on her. Someone got over their nerves real fast…

My eyes open, and at first, I see nothing. Then my eyes adjust and I see Snow staring down at me. I go to sit up, but his hand keeps me firmly in place.

"Let me go see him!" I hear my wife's voice yell. My eyes snap towards the large window in front of me. She looks so different. Her hair is pulled back, showcasing her thin face. She's lost weight. She looks so tired, and worn.

"We had a deal…" Snow says, looking back at her. A deal? What deal?

"What deal?" I ask, my voice weak.

"Your faithful wife has agreed to serve her clients. I guess that part about staying faithful to each other in your wedding vows means nothing…" He says, smiling. My heart rate speeds up. I swear I'm going to kill this son of a-

An ear-shattering scream pierces the room. I look to the window in time to see a peacekeeper electrocuting Nikki with his weapon. I shoot up so fast, Snow doesn't have time to keep me down. I rip the tubes out of my arm and bust through the door. I ignore the pain of my aching limbs.

"Let her go!" I shout. She slumps against the wall, and falls to the floor. I wrap my arms around her, and clench my jaw, trying to get through the pain.

"Finnick…I'm so sorry. I made a deal with Snow so…You'd wake up…" She pants. I hold her close before she's ripped away from me. The peacekeepers carry her away.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you all so much for reviewing, and favoring! I was feeling discouraged because this story wasn't getting a lot of reviews or follows, but I've gained back the motivation to write. :) So keep on reviewing, and following, And I'm truly grateful and happy that you all enjoy this story.**

Chapter 8:

I take a deep breath. I have to do this. If there's any chance that I will see Finnick again, I'm going to have to do this. I focus on Finnick. And then the thoughts of betrayal start. If I do this, I will be betraying him. I can't do this…

"Nikki, are you ready?" Raquel asks, from the other side of the door. I glance at myself one more time. Dark, smoky eyeshadow covers my eyes, and ruby red lipstick coats my lips. Lavendaria did a good job with my makeup. Snow requested that my prep team get me ready for this. How mortifying-they're helping me cheat on my husband. I shake my head, trying to get the thoughts out of my mind.

"Yeah." My voice cracks. She opens the door and frowns.

"I'm sorry honey. It's just the way the Capitol works." She shrugs her shoulders, and pulls me in a hug. Oh Raquel, if you only knew.

"Alright. It's time. Chin up, eyes bright, back straight." She orders. I smile weakly, doing as she says.

"Oh dear…Okay. It will have to do." She says, waving it off. I guess I wasn't as convincing as I thought I was.

I walk out of the presidential mansion, where the black car awaits me. The driver opens the door, and Raquel slides in the back. I follow, and take one glance at the overly decorated mansion. The door closes, and we're off to visit my first client.

After a few minutes of silence, Raquel turns to me.

"Honey, I know it's not my place, but why is Snow making you do this? You're married to Finnick…people usually don't request Victors that are married?" She whispers. How do I even answer that? _Because Snow is an evil bastard who put Finnick in a coma just to get back his control over us…_

"The clients were too persistent. He didn't want anyone to be too upset." I lie. She nods her head, but something about her facial expression tells me she doesn't believe me.

"We're here." She comments. I glance and see The Rose Water Nightclub in front of us. This time, there's no paparazzi. Strange. I thought Snow would want this moment captured…

The driver walks to my side, and opens the door. He gives me his hand to take, but I get out without it.

"Good luck." Raquel says before the driver slams the door shut. I walk into the front lobby. Everyone stops and stares. Immediately they come over to me, and ask for autographs. People push each other to make their way over to me. Brightly tinted people grab at my arms, and start yelling things at me.

"Alright, Alright! Let the lady breathe!" I hear a familiar voice shout over the commotion. I see Brent Waters standing in the middle of crowd, shoving people aside, and grabbing a hold of my arm. He pulls me through the crowd, and leads me to the elevator.

"Uh…Are you…?" I ask, awkwardly standing to the far corner of the elevator.

"Your client? Yes." He says coldly.

"Oh." I murmur. I stare down at my shoes. Who invented heels in the first place?

"So…Is your husband going to barge in this time and threaten me?" He asks, smirking. I don't find it funny, but I don't let him know that.

"No." I say, sadly.

"You sound disappointed." He says, moving closer.

"Well he is my husband, after all." I remark, stepping back, so that I'm pressed against the cold metal wall. Brent leans over, and presses a button, stopping the elevator.

"I can make you forget about him." He says, looking me over. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. You have to do this…Finnick's life is on the line.

"I'd like to see you try." I say, trying my best to sound interested. He smiles at me, and then presses his lips to mine. My hands fly up to his chest to push him off, but I remind myself that Finnick could get hurt if I don't do this. Instead, I move my hands from his chest, to around his neck.

His arm wraps around my waist, and pulls me closer. I break away and look into his eyes. Not a trace of regret, or guilt can be found in his icy blue eyes. He smirks, and pushes off my leather jacket. I bite my tongue, to keep myself from saying something that could put myself and Finnick at risk. I have to make sure Brent gives Snow an amazing report. I take a deep breath, and immediately smile back at him, lifting his shirt over his head. He's not as muscular as Finnick, but I have to admit, his six –pack is nice to look at. I shake that thought away, what are you thinking, Nikki?!

"Like what you see?" He says, kissing my neck.

"Ah-huh." I respond. His hands travel down, and lift up my dress. Oh god. I can't do this. I place my hands over his.

"Let's…go somewhere more comfortable…" I say. He looks up at me and nods. I bend down and pick up my jacket, and his shirt. He pushes the button, and the elevator starts going up. It stops at the top floor. Brent leads me out of the elevator and into the Capitol-designed room.

"Now that we're somewhere comfortable, maybe you should get into something more comfortable…" he whispers in my ear, and grabs the zipper in the back of my dress and begins to slide it down.

 **Finnick POV**

I pace back and forth in our room in the training center. I have no idea what's going on with Nikki, or the tributes. I'm going crazy. I've been stuck in this room for a day. I sigh heavily, and throw myself on the bed.

I know what she's doing right now. I squeeze my eyes closed tight. I can't bear this. She's doing this just to keep me alive. Suddenly, I remember when I serviced a client, all to get her interview scheduled for another day. She acted so calmly…She wasn't even mad when I told her. She was sympathetic and sorry. Instead of being mad, I should be sympathetic and sorry like she was.

But I can't stop thinking about how scared, and alone she must feel right now. _Alone._ Stupid choice of words…

I glance over at the nightstand and spot her drawer which is slightly open. I move over to her side of the bed and open it. Inside, I see a sketchpad, some pencils, and photograph. A photograph that I didn't need to see right now. I bury my head into my arm. I need to face this. I can't hide from it, and start punching people out because of it, either. Although that sick man deserved it. Heck. He deserved more than what I did.

I lean over again and pick up the picture. I stare at the small figure. Our baby. Our baby that we will never meet. I study its tiny face. Not that it looks like much of face, really, but it's still beautiful. My heart drops. This small, innocent child…Our only duty as parents was to protect him or her. We failed. The tears spring in my eyes. I failed as a father and a husband to protect my family.

I pushed Nikki to start a family. I wanted to be a father so bad, I was so blind to the world around us. How can I raise a child in this world we live in? Our children aren't safe. Even though we're Victors, our children can still be reaped. Just then, someone knocks on my door. I throw the picture in the drawer face-down, and jump up to answer the door.

I open it, to reveal a sad looking Annie.

"Annie? What are you doing here?" I ask her.

"The Games are over, Finnick. Luke and Rose died." She announces. I can see that she was crying. It must be so hard for her to relive the Games all over again.

"Can I come in?" She asks me, sniffling.

"Yeah, of course." I invite her in.

"Finnick…I'm…"She begins, but her tears cut her words off.

"Sssh…Come here." I open my arms to her. She walks right in, and sobs against my chest.

 **Nikki POV**

"Wow…That was…" Brent breathes. I bury my face in my hands. I cannot believe that happened. I can, but that's not the point.

"I take it you enjoyed yourself?" I ask, a bit too bitter.

"That's an understatement." He says, getting up. I sit up, and clutch the sheets around me.

"So…Your report to Snow…" I trail off, not looking at him.

"Don't worry, I don't have any complaints…Your report will be the best one I've given." He says, sliding on his pants. I shudder thinking about all the 'reports' he's given.

"Aren't you going to get dressed? Or are you staying for more?" He taunts. I get up immediately, and grab my dress that made its way across the room. I quickly get dressed, desperate to get out of here.

"Uh…Goodbye." I say quickly, and shut the door behind me. I walk briskly to the elevator. When the doors open, I see my driver standing there.

"Ready to go Mrs. Odair?" He asks. I cringe. _Mrs. Odair._

"Yeah…" I say, walking in. The elevator shoots down to the lobby, and I walk out. This time the people just stare. I hang my head down low, and just focus on getting in the car. When I get outside, a bunch of cameras start flashing in my face. Reporters ask me all sorts of question. I wonder if Snow told them I was here, or if one of citizens of the Capitol did.

"Nikki! Where did your jacket go?"

"Are you cheating on Finnick?" They all shout these questions at me. I stop listening after that one. The tears fill my eyes. I finally make it to the car door. I don't even wait for the driver to open it for me, I just duck in there as fast as I can.

What startles me, is that I see the backseat is occupied by one other person. Snow.

"Brent gave me your report… I thought you'd like to see it…" He says, flipping down a screen that was hidden away in a compartment in the ceiling. Suddenly, a recording begins to play. The screen displays a video of Brent kissing me, and pushing me on the bed. I gasp in horror.

"Now…If you mess up…this will be shown to a certain someone…You did very well today. Don't screw up tomorrow." He says, a stern expression. He recorded it! I have no words for how I'm feeling.

"Don't worry, you can go to your room in the training center with Finnick tonight. But tomorrow you must come to my mansion. Your client will be there." He explains. Of course he'd let me see Finnick. Right after I…I can't think of it right now. The car stops and I see we're in front of the training center.

"Have a good night, Mrs. Odair." He says, slyly. I roll my eyes and walk into the training center, my head down, and shoulders slumped.

Finnick is going to be so mad. He's not going to even want to look at me.

 **Finnick POV**

"So what happened to you two?" Annie asks, twirling a piece of her hair.

"What?" I ask.

"You and Nikki. Why did you guys stop Mentoring?" She clarifies. Oh.

"Well…Nikki lost the baby." I say. I close my eyes and rest my face in my hands. I feel Annie's light touch on my back.

"Finnick…I'm so sorry." She says. I look back at her. She looks so broken. But she looks…sort of…beautiful. The way the sun hits her green eyes, and light brown hair… Stop! I can't think of Annie like this. But she looks better. She looks like she recovered. Maybe I gave up too quickly on her…

"Annie…Are you okay? Are you any better?" I ask her. She thinks for a moment.

"In a way I am. I'm still not over you… though." She says, looking down. I get up and turn the television on. Something to distract me.

"Finnick…"I hear her whisper, suddenly right behind me. I feel her slender arms wrap around my waist. I quickly unwind her arms and whirl around.

"Annie, I'm sorry, you can't do stuff like that…" I tell her. She nods her head.

"Where's Nikki? You're hurting, shouldn't she be with you?" She asks me. I sigh, rubbing my forehead.

"Yeah…She's busy." I say through clenched teeth.

"Why is she at the Rose Water Nightclub?" Annie asks. How did she know that? I open my eyes and see she's staring at the TV. I see a picture of Nikki in a tight blue dress, and heels walking out of the club, her face is sad, and her eyes look watery. My heart breaks.

"Nikki…" I whisper. I wish I could see her. I probably won't see her after tomorrow. Just then, the door bursts open, and Nikki walks in. Her dark makeup runs down her face, and her lip is quivering.

"Uh…Annie, you should go." I say, walking over to Nikki.

"Okay. Bye Nikki!" She calls. I roll my eyes at her.

"Finnick…I'm so sorry, I just…" She trails off. I hug her tight, and rub her back.

"It's okay, you're here with me." I tell her. She pushes me away. I look at her in shock.

"Please…I need a shower. Don't touch me…" She says frantically. She kicks off her heels and runs in the bathroom. I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"Nikki, I'm not mad at you-" I stop walking in the bathroom when I see her staring in the garbage bin. I know exactly what must be in there…

"Finnick. I killed our baby, I had sex with another man, and you have the nerve to tell me you're not mad at me?" She says, all emotion gone.

"Nikki you were with him because you were trying to save my life. And you didn't kill our baby, Snow did. Snow did all of this!" I say, my voice gaining volume.

"I drank the water laced with a drug that stopped my heart! I was the one who kissed him. I was the one who slept with him! Not Snow!" She yells.

"Yeah? You want to place blame? I slept with a girl just so that you wouldn't have to answer questions in front of a camera, I beat up Snow, putting both of our lives at risk. I was the one who antagonized him! I'm the reason he even took action against us! I was the one who saved you the first time from sleeping with him, which in turn, upset Snow, and made him have this vendetta against us! I was the one who pushed you to want to have a kid in the first place, and look where that got us!" I shout back. Her eyes flickered up to mine, and in that moment I saw a girl who was too good for me. She didn't deserve me. The guilt and sadness in her eyes showed me, she was no longer thinking about her pain, but mine.

"Finnick, that's not true. I was so depressed and broken after the Games, I couldn't answer those questions. Snow made you sleep with her just to get back at me. We weren't married then. And you beat up Snow because you lost your family that you wanted so badly. He took the one thing away from you that you have been waiting for. I would've done the same, if I wasn't locked in that room. And you saved me because you love me. You couldn't bear the fact that just as we were getting close, I had to be with someone else. I don't blame you. I blame Snow.

"Stop justifying my actions! I had another choice! I always had another choice, but I was selfish and made the wrong ones." I say. She shakes her head.

"Finnick, I'm sorry, but I refuse to accept that. We were forced into this life. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. We knew that getting married and dealing with Snow was going to be hard as hell, but we got married anyways. Are you saying we shouldn't have gotten married? I mean we had another choice… to get married or not to." She says. This woman had me there.

"No. I'm sorry, I'm just…I don't know." I exhale. I look at her, and I mean really look at her. I spot a hickey on her neck, and then feel like a jerk. She was forced to do that to save my stupid life, and I'm over here yelling at her.

"Come here." I say, wrapping my arms around her.

"I love you. Forever. It's you and me for life, babe. I don't care that we aren't going to be welcoming a baby into the world, and I don't care that you've been with him. I know where your heart lies, and I know that it was an awful experience." I whisper in her hair. This makes her start crying. I unzip her dress, and help her in the bath. I will always take care of her, no matter what. I love her with all my heart. Nothing will separate us.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So here is Chapter Nine, I apologize for not updating sooner, things have been so hectic. I just want to thank you all for continuing to follow my story and leaving reviews!**

Chapter Nine:

I open my eyes and see Finnick running a towel through his golden locks. I watch him for a few moments, without saying anything. He sighs and glances in the mirror of the bathroom one last time, before turning to leave. Stopping short, he stares into the trashcan. Finnick bends over and picks up the white stick, and squeezes his eyes closed. My heart throbs painfully in sorrow. I roll over and slide open the nightstand, pausing when I see the picture of our lost baby. Quickly sliding it aside, I pull out my sketch pad. Sitting up, I flip to another page and quickly begin outlining our baby's form.

"What are you drawing?" Finnick whispers, while climbing into bed.

"Drawing Annalyn Odair, or Cannon Odair." I say, gliding my pencil smoothly across the stark white paper.

"Annalyn…Cannon…Is Annalyn our mother's names put together?" He asks, while he rubs my shoulder.

"Yes. Marilyn for my mom, and Annabeth for your mom. And then Cannon is something I liked." I say, shading the outline.

"That's amazing." H breathes, resting his chin on my head.

"I'm thinking we could put the pregnancy test in a box, along with the picture and this sketch. We could write a note too…" I trail off.

"That's perfect." He says, kissing the top of my head. I continue sketching until it looks like the sonogram, sighing and leaning my head back.

"I have to get ready now." I say, climbing out of the bed. I hand Finnick the sketch, and his eyes begin to water upon looking at it.

"This is beautiful." He slides his fingers slowly and carefully across the drawing. I look at it again, admiring the flowers, and swirls I added.

"Thank you." I place my hand on his shoulder. He stands and wraps his strong arms around me.

"I miss you." He says. I hug him tighter.

"I miss you too. We should be going back soon." I say, inhaling his scent.

"After this is all over, I'm going to take you on a date." He says, his sea green eyes, a perfect mixture of blue and green.

"Sounds fine with me." I say, a smile spreading across my face. As soon as I realize it, it disappears. This is the first time I've smiled since losing the baby. I think for a moment and notice that Finnick makes me smile even when I'm too broken to frown. Leaning in close, I press my lips to his. He seems shocked, but after a quick second he starts kissing me back. His hands travel up my side, and find themselves on the sides of my face. We break away, and take a moment to breathe.

"I have to go now, but when I get back, we're leaving. We're going home." I tell him. He shares a smile of his own.

"Well then you better hurry." He says, his smile faltering, thinking about what I have to hurry up and do. Or rather _who._ I sigh heavily, and turn around. _'Get through this and you can come home to Finnick'_. I tell myself.

I quickly slide on my sandals, and run out the door, but not before risking one last glance at Finnick, who is standing by the window, his head hung low.

I walk into Snow's office when my prep team is done making me look pretty. I hate this. I hate this so much. I walk in and see the white-haired and fair-skinned devil sitting behind his grand desk.

"You know this client…" He begins. Not even a hello? I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

"Okay…." I place my hand impatiently on my hip. Suddenly, Brent emerges from a door I hadn't noticed before. Snow must really like me and Brent together. I grind my teeth.

"…Now run along." He waves us off. I glare at the old man. I bite my tongue so hard, I can almost taste blood. Brent follows me out, holding an envelope.

"So the uh…place is right here in the mansion." He tells me, gesturing to the door on the left. I whirl around and narrow my eyes at him.

"Why the hell do you keep requesting me?" I nearly yell at him.

"Snow sent for me." He frowns. I cross my arms over my chest. So this was Snow's idea. I shake my head, and open the door to the bedroom. Walking inside, I glance around the royally decorated room. Golden fixtures adorn the walls, and curtain rods. My eyes rest upon the king sized golden bed. I look back to Brent, who is in awe of the fancy room. It's like he's never seen the presidential mansion before. Oh right…he hasn't.

I crash my lips to his, and his hands automatically grip my waist.

"Let's just get this over with." I mumble. I fall back onto the bed. I feel him hover above me, his arms propped up, supporting his weight on either side of me.

"I'm sorry." He whispers. I stare at him in shock. Did he just apologize? The last time there was no sympathetic bone in his body. Before I can say anything he kisses me, and begins lifting up my shirt.

I gather my things, and slide on my jacket speedily. I'm one step away from seeing Finnick and getting out of this hell hole. I rush to Snow's office.

"Hey, I'm done. We're going home now." I rush out. He nods his head slowly at me, not saying a word. I turn to leave, but stop short.

"What? No snarky comment? No threat?" I question him, raising my eyebrow.

"Not today Mrs. Odair." He says without any emotion. Not today? What does that even mean? He stares blankly ahead, a sad expression on his face. I wonder why.

"Okay… Is everything alright?" I ask. I scold myself for even asking him, as if I care about him.

"Go home to your family, Mrs. Odair." He replies in the same monotone as before.

"Goodbye…" I trail off, shooting him a weird look before closing the grand doors behind me. I run all the way to the front door and slide in the black car that awaits me. I'm going home!

We stop before the training center, and I get out, running up to our room as fast as possible.

I push open the door, my eyes wildly searching for the incredibly handsome man I get to call my husband. Nothing.

"Finnick?" I call into the empty room, my voice an octave higher as the panic sets in. The dread settles uncomfortably in the pit of my stomach.

I hear someone run in from the other room. I see Finnick propelling himself through the hallway, directly towards me. At first I'm scared, but when I see his bright smile stretch across his face, I relax. He crashes into me, knocking us over, but he rolls, so he absorbs the impact.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I was just setting up a few things for when we get home." He winks at me, his hands tightening on my hips.

"It's alright, as long as you're here, that's all that matters." I breathe, still out of breath from the marathon I just ran. His hands slide down my legs.

"Finnick, how are we going to ever be intimate again, after what Snow made me do?" I ask, finally getting this off my chest. It's been bothering me ever since I slept with Brent the first time.

"I know you did that to save my life. I know that you love me, and I know that it didn't mean anything. I understand, because he made me do the same. We can take it slow, if you want. I've just missed you so much." He explains, his eyes full of love, and sympathy.

"I'm done taking things slow. There's no time to take things slow, Finnick, we lost our baby, and I almost lost you in the course of five days. We don't have the luxury of having time to wait." I rest my forehead against his. He closes his eyes in contentment.

"I'm so glad you said that." He whispers, chuckling. He kisses me softly, his hands winding themselves in my golden brown waves. I close my eyes and relish in the feel of his lips against mine, the love that is blossoming from my chest.

He sits up, wrapping my legs around his waist, and breaks the kiss. His bright green orbs travel from my eyes, to my legs. He smirks, and crashes his lips to mine again, this time more forceful, the desire taking over. He pushes my shoulders back until my spine rests on the cold floor. With Finnick, it's not forceful, not aggressive, and not just pure lust. With Finnick, it's loving, gentle, passionate, and just pure love.

"We're late as it is, come on." Finnick nudges me. I open my eyes and see that we're in Four.

"Oh… yeah." I say groggily. I push myself up into a sitting position on the comfortable blue cushions of the couch. As soon as we stepped foot on the train, we passed out on the couches in the living room. Annie and Mags were already shipped home, so it was just me and Finnick who stayed in the Capitol. I can't wait to see them.

We quickly get off the train, this time, no audience awaiting us. I wrap my arm around Finnick's waist and we walk home, in silence. I take in the vibrant green palms swaying in the light breeze carrying the scent of the ocean. I take a deep breath, letting the distinct feeling of home and safety sink in.

"Where's our first stop?" I ask looking up at Finnick, whose eyes are focused ahead. I look to where his eyes are, and see Annie standing with Mags and some new person I have never seen in my life before.

"Who is that?" I ask, dumbly. I study the tall man with dark brown hair, and sea green blue eyes. Faint stubble decorates his jaw, and he is dressed fairly well. His sky blue button up, pairs nicely with his khaki pants and brown loafers. Finnick throws his arm around my shoulder, as we near them.

"Finnick!" Annie squeals as she runs full force ahead to my husband. She throws her arms around him. I stumble to the side, losing Finnick to Annie's dramatic display of affection. I use this opportunity to greet Mags.

I wrap my arms around her, breathing in her lavender scent. It comforts me instantly. I battle with the tears that fight to escape and run down my cheeks. She rubs my back.

"Mags…" I whisper, my voice cracking. She pulls away and looks into my watery eyes. Pain flashes across her face. She wipes my tears from my face. She pulls me back in for a hug, rubbing my back in comfort.

After a short moment, I look back and see Finnick and Annie talking. He stands a distance away from her with his hands in his pockets. He seems angry. She looks sad. I wonder what they're talking about. I take it upon myself to introduce myself to the strange man, seeing as how this must be awkward for him.

"Hello, I'm Nikki Odair, I don't believe we've met." I extend my hand to him. He stares at me a little too long, but he takes my hand and shakes it firmly, a soft smile on his lips.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Peter Odair." He says confidently. I gasp. _Odair?_ A million questions run through my mind at this moment. Peter looks too young to be an uncle of Finnick's…I thought all Finnick's family were dead…Someone's lying here.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter ten:

"I'm sorry…did you say Odair?" I ask, still shocked.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm Finnick's brother. Well half-brother." He clarifies. I blink, expecting him to disappear. This can't be real. I look back to Finnick who's watching me like a hawk. Annie continues to talk fervently, but he doesn't look like he's even hearing a word she's saying. He holds up his hand to her, and she stops talking immediately. He walks briskly over to us, and does something unexpected. He punches Peter square in the jaw, knocking him back. Annie squeals, and rushes over to Peter, as he struggles to get up.

The once ice blue eyes of Finnick's brother, are now dark blue with rage. Finnick pushes me behind him as Peter stomps his way towards us.

"Do you really want to do this? Decide wisely." He threatens in a low, menacing voice.

"You better watch where you step around here Peter. You've been gone my whole damn life! You didn't even check on me when my family was murdered! Don't go near my wife, Mags, or Annie." Finnick explodes. Peter looks taken aback. I'm mostly shocked that Finnick has a living brother and he didn't bother telling me.

"Well as for Annie…That's going to be a problem. We're together Finnick." He says, looking to Annie, whose head is in her hands.

"I'm sorry, may I interject?" I call, stepping from around Finnick. Everything is getting out of hand.

"So you, Finnick's ex, is dating his brother that he clearly doesn't have a good relationship with, and you thought it'd be a good idea to bring him here when me and Finnick come back from the Capitol after going through hell?!" I aim towards Annie, my murderous glare piercing through her fragile eyes.

"I-I…don't know what to say. I am sorry that it hurt Finnick, but you know how I felt when you two got married… After your wedding, I spotted him, and we sort of just hit it off. I needed to get over Finnick." She says, shoving her hands in her pockets.

"With his brother, though? I'm sorry but that was a mistake on your part. Peter, you should've never even let it continue further, knowing that Finnick and Annie have history." I turn towards him. He raises his hands up, palms facing me.

"You two should just get out of here. Please just let me and my wife have one night of peace. You have no idea what we went through in the past week. We'll deal with all of this tomorrow." Finnick announces, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling us forward. Mags shoots Annie a disapproving look and follows us. Annie frowns and tears fill her eyes. I turn back around when I see Peter embrace her.

"Finnick..." I begin, but his arm tightens around my waist, so I drop it. We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm just so confused about the half-brother part. Did his mom have an affair? Or his dad? I shake my head, trying to clear these thoughts.

We make it to our empty, and dark house. Finnick pushes open the door, and what I see inside startles me. In the foyer sits a baby carriage with a teddy bear inside it. My hand flies up to my mouth. Snow killed our baby, did he really have to do _this?_

Finnick stops in front of the door, speechless. I cautiously walk over to the mini display of what could have been. I see a white note attached to the teddy bear. With shaking hands, I slip the note off of the overly stuffed arm, flipping it open, I see my dad's handwriting.

" _Nikki, my little girl, I just wanted to say how happy I am. I never imagined I would be a grandfather one day. I never even thought I'd be a father again. I promise I will be there for you and that little guy in there. I love you so much, and I can't wait to see her/him. Congratulations to the both of you."_

I close the note painfully. He found out. I didn't want him to find out. He's going to be crushed when he learns there is no baby. Finnick is suddenly behind me. He winds his arms around me, and holds me against his chest. I wipe away the stray tears that escaped.

"Nikki, I wanted to talk to you. Do you think we can try again? If it's too soon, I understand completely." He whispers in my ear, the smell of mint on his breath. I turn around, and look into his glassy sea green eyes. In them, I see loss, I see hope, and most importantly I see love.

"I'm scared Snow will kill our baby again. We said we'd protect our baby last time, and look what happened." I throw my arms around his neck.

"Snow won't try it again. You did exactly what he said. Besides, the next time we will be in the Capitol will be in twelve months, the baby will be here by then." He pleads with me. I do want to try again. I want a baby.

"Yes…" I breathe. His eyebrows shoot up, and the smile that spreads across his face is blinding. He lifts me up, and I wind my legs around his waist. Too eager to make it upstairs, he walks us over to the couch. I bring his face down to mine quickly, and start kissing him. He breaks away and looks me in the eyes.

"I love you, and I'm sorry that I failed the first time to protect you and the baby, I swear…" He says, but I place my finger on his lips.

"It won't happen again Finnick, this is us starting over. We won't mess up this time." I whisper. He half smiles and goes back to kissing me.

 **Eight months later…**

 **Finnick's POV**

I feel Nikki get out of bed. I sit up, fully awake now. I squint in the darkness, trying to make out where she is going. I see her sit by the window, looking out onto the beach, watching the dark waves crash to shore. I study the way the bright moon illuminates her figure, bleaching everything silver. She takes a deep breath, and rests a hand on her large protruding baby bump. Eight months pregnant, and I still can't believe we're having a baby.

"Is everything okay?" I ask quietly. She closes her eyes and exhales.

"Yeah, I'm just feeling stressed. In four months we go back to the Capitol. Our baby will only be three months old." She says, biting her lip. Her green eyes find mine, and I can clearly see the worry etched in them.

"Honey relax. I don't think we will Mentor this year. I think Annie and Mags got it." I try to explain to her. She shakes her head.

"Annie is not Mentoring, you know that Finnick. After Peter broke her heart she's been a mess." She tells me tiredly. Ah, yes, Peter. The brother that I do not care for. The brother that is two doors down the hall from us. It took a while for Nikki to convince me to let him stay with us. His house had been destroyed in a tropical storm, and it brought back many memories for Nikki. Out of guilt and sadness for my wife's tragic memories of storms and losing her sister and mother, I finally agreed.

"I'll go. You will stay home with Cannon. I don't want you or him near Snow." I say defensively. I climb out of bed, and make my way to the window seats and sit across from her.

"Okay. I love you." She says. I smile and wonder how did I get so lucky?

"Till the end of my days." I kiss her forehead. She pulls back and takes my hand in hers and presses it to her abdomen. I feel the small kicks Cannon is making. I think back to the very moment I found out Nikki was pregnant the second time.

 _I walk inside the house, closing the door behind me quietly. My efforts of being quiet weren't as effective as I thought, since Nikki stands before me, a huge grin on her face._

" _Sneaking in?" She questions, raising an arched eyebrow._

" _No, I was just at Mags house, she was having trouble moving some furniture around." I explain quickly. She waves off my explanation, pulling a blindfold out from behind her back._

" _What…?" I begin, a surprised expression on my face._

" _Oh hush, just put it on." She tosses me the light fabric._

" _I'm a little nervous." I admit. I hear her giggle as I tie the cloth around my eyes._

" _Can you see?" She asks me._

" _No, I think the blindfold took care of that for me." I joke. I feel her swat my shoulder like she always does when I joke around. She grabs my arms and tows me forward._

 _I feel her stop after a minute, and turn me to face a certain direction._

" _Can I take it off now?" I ask impatiently._

" _Yes." I hear the smile in her voice. I quickly untie the blindfold. I'm standing in front of the bathroom mirror._

" _You blindfolded me so you could show me a reflection of myself? Not to rain on your parade, but it's nothing new." I raise an eyebrow at her. She rolls her eyes and tilts my head down, where I see four white sticks laid out on the sink. The same white stick I saw in the trashcan at the training center. They all say positive._

" _Honey…" I begin, but I can't find the words to express how much joy I'm feeling._

" _Finnick, we're having a baby!" She squeals, and jumps into my open arms. I'm not going to lie, in this moment, my eyes tear up. We're having a baby. This time I know nothing will happen to it, or Nikki._

I was right. Nothing did happen to Nikki or our beautiful baby boy, Cannon Odair. I look down at my small and innocent son, and see so much of myself in him. He has his mother's eyes, but my charm. I won't tell Nikki that though. Today, October 5th, our son was born. I've never witnessed a more magical, and loving moment in my life. I am a father, and I vow to myself I will never let anything happen to him. This is my son. I'm responsible for him. I look over, and see my beautiful wife sleeping peacefully. The past three months she's been a worried mess. Now she can rest easy, knowing I will protect her and Cannon.

 **End of Part One.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Part Two (Three years later from the 72** **nd** **Games) The Quarter Quell**

 **A/N: Hello everyone! I am SO sorry I haven't updated recently! I've been working on school, and just a bunch of stuff, but anyways, here is the first chapter of Part Two! Enjoy, and as usual, leave a review!**

Chapter One:

"I love you." Nikki whispers into my chest. I hug her closer to my body, and lean down to kiss her. Just as our lips are about to meet, Cannon runs into the room holding a seashell.

"Daddy look! I got this for you!" He squeals in his child-like enthusiasm.

"Wow! That's one pretty shell, Cannon." I bend down on my knees, and examine the shell. Bright swirls of pink and orange decorate the back.

"Mommy, can we go for a walk?" Cannon asks, his bright green eyes focused on my beautiful wife. That special smile she reserves just for Cannon spreads across her face, and the sight is breathtaking.

"Of course we can." She laughs, picking him up, and ruffling his golden hair.

"Can Uncle come too?" He asks innocently. Nikki and I share a look.

"Well…yes. We can ask if he wants to come." She frowns. Peter hasn't wanted to do anything lately.

"I'll go ask!" He giggles, commanding to be put down, by kicking his legs out from around her hips. She lowers him safely to the ground, and as soon as his toes touch the floor, he takes off running.

"So…Tomorrow…." Nikki starts. Tomorrow is the announcing of the Quarter Quell. I know exactly what's going to happen. Snow is going to make the announcement that for this year's Quarter Quell, the tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of Victors.

Haymitch has reached out to me, as well as Johanna and Plutarch Heavensbee we have devised a plan. To push the revolution further, we're going to try to get to Thirteen. Katniss and Peeta need to stay alive, and if by some miracle, we can make it, we will.

As of right now, I'm worried about Nikki and Cannon. What if Nikki is reaped? She has no idea about the plan, and I'd prefer her stay home with Cannon. I know that if Mags is picked, Nikki will automatically volunteer. Ever since the whole Peter situation, Annie hasn't been on Nikki's good side.

"You with me?" She asks me, grabbing my arm gently.

"Sorry, there's just a lot on my mind." I tell her, kissing her cheek. I am going to protect my family, like I always do.

"Whatever happens, we'll get through it together." She smiles, kissing me back. If things go awry, I can't have Snow torture her for information. So…If there's no information to torture out of her, maybe he'll leave her alone.

I hug her close, as these thoughts run through my head. I can't lose her or Cannon. They're why I keep living, they're everything to me, and they're why I'm even putting my life on the line, so that we can make a difference. So we can change Panem, and create a world that is safe for my son and any future children.

"I love you." I tell her. She pulls back and stares into my eyes.

"I love you too. Until my very last breath. And even then, when I'm gone, I'll continue loving you." She places a small kiss on my jaw. A pang of guilt immediately goes through me. Should I tell her about this? Would it be safer if she knew? And I mean this isn't just a white lie either…This is probably the biggest thing I have ever kept from her.

"Until the end of my days…" I murmur as I move a piece of her caramel brown hair aside.

"Finnick…I have to tell you something…I was waiting for the right time, but I think that we never seem to have the right time for anything, and you never know what's going to happen lately…" She trails off, trying to catch her breath.

"Yes?" I raise an eyebrow at her.

"Finnick, I'm pregnant." She smiles wide. I would smile too, but suddenly my heart drops to my stomach, and I feel nauseous. This can't be happening. Now our plan to add fire to the revolution that is starting, seems to be happening at the perfect and worst time possible. Perfect because with another child on the way, the change in the world needs to happen as soon as possible…But with another child on the way, Nikki can't be around any of this. She could get hurt, and what if she gets reaped? I can't imagine her dying with my unborn son or daughter inside her.

"Finnick, what's wrong?" She asks, as I stay shell-shocked.

"Nothing…I'm just surprised, but that's amazing!" I fake enthusiasm, kissing her neck. She doesn't buy it. She gently pushes me off her.

"Finnick…Why aren't you happy?" She asks, a sad expression on her face.

"It's just I've been thinking what happens when they grow up? The Games…" I begin, but recognition flashes across her face. She smiles flirtatiously at me, and grabs me by the collar, leading me to the bathroom. She turns on the shower, and I look at her as if she grew three heads.

"What are you-" I begin, but she silences me by placing her finger on my lips. She pushes me into the stream of hot water. My clothes become drenched within seconds.

"It seems you and Haymitch are taking care of the Games. They won't be around for long, will they?" She whispers in my ear. She knows, and then my heart drops even further. She knows that Snow can't find out, which is why we're in the shower. The surveillance won't be able to pick up our voices.

"How did you know?" I ask her.

"Please Finnick, why would a Victor from Twelve want to meet with you so often? The same Mentor for the girl on fire, who is causing uprisings all over Panem? I'm not stupid." She whispers, the water dripping down her face.

"Are you really pregnant?" I ask, my heart beating violently. Damn, my wife is too observant for her own good.

"No. I just wanted to confirm what I already suspected. When you weren't happy about the pregnancy, I knew that it was true. Something's happening." She tells me. I'm absolutely shocked…what a smart, and fool-proof way of finding out. She would be a huge asset to the revolution with a mind like that. So, I tell her everything, and I know that she can protect herself. Snow would expect me to not tell her…He would expect me to protect her. If she says that she doesn't know anything, he'll believe her. The whole point of war is to do what the enemy wouldn't expect, right?


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Here is chapter two of Part Two! Enjoy, and as always, leave a review!**

Chapter Two:

I sit in anticipation…the Quarter Quell announcement occurs in two minutes. I grab ahold of Finnick's hand, knowing what awaits us. I still cannot believe he was planning on keeping me in the dark. I do understand his reasoning though.

"What if you get reaped?" Finnick asks me. I shudder at the thought. Before Cannon, it wouldn't have been a problem, I would have preferred it, but now, that I have a son who needs me…I don't know what will happen. My life isn't just my own anymore.

"I think that I will have to fight extra hard to stay alive. Cannon can't lose us…" I trail off, gazing at my son who is playing with his toys quietly on the white carpet.

"I feel the same. I know that I'm getting picked though. There's no other male Victors…" Finnick says, pulling me closer to him. I rest my head on his shoulder, watching the seal of the Capitol appear on the television.

The anthem plays, and I watch as President Snow walks across the stage. I remember the last time I saw him, when I was leaving the Capitol, he seemed…off. He seemed sad, like he was remembering something.

"Mommy, isn't that man friends with you and daddy?" Cannon looks to the TV, and to us.

"Sort of." I mutter. A young boy dressed in a white suit, holding a small wooden box in his hands follows the President. The anthem ends, and Snow starts his speech. He goes into a brief lesson of the Dark Days, and all that lovely stuff. I roll my eyes.

"On the twenty-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of their choice to initiate violence, every district was made to hold an election and vote on the tributes who would represent it." I make a disgusted sound from the back of my throat. Cannon watches the screen with curiosity. Peter then, comes down the stairs wearing the same clothes as yesterday.

"On the fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder that two rebels died for each Capitol citizen, every district was required to send twice as many tributes." That was the year Haymitch won. I've never met him…I've heard he's just a grumpy old drunk. I can't blame him. Peter walks in, and takes his seat on the floor next to Cannon. Their relationship is surprisingly amazing. It warms my heart that he loves Can almost as much I love him.

"And now we honor our third Quarter Quell," The President announces, the little boy steps forward, holding out the box as he flips the lid. I see an envelope marked with 75. He opens the paper, and reads, but not before giving a small smile of satisfaction. "On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors." He says, while Peter's head snaps back to look at us. Finnick and I grab hands, and fake fear-something we've had enough practice to do convincingly.

"Mommy, what does that mean?" Cannon looks to Finnick and I. I lower myself onto the floor, and wrap my son in my arms.

"It means daddy and I have to go away for a while, but we will be back. I promise. You'll stay with Grandpa and Uncle though. Doesn't that sound like fun?" I smile, choking back the tears that there's a small chance I will never see my son again.

"Yeah!" He exclaims, jumping up. I let out a shaky breath. I feel like crying and breaking down. I can't stand the fact that those big green eyes might see us on television…dying. Everyone is required to watch, and I know my dad will be glued to the screen. He will want to know what's happening. If he's watching Cannon, he will see us on TV and will also want to see us. I shudder. Cannon can't watch us on there. He can't watch any of it. There's too much violence, and I'm sure it will be even traumatic if he sees Finnick and I fighting people.

"Come on Can, let's go to bed." Finnick says quietly. His thoughts must reflect mine. Finnick takes him by the hand, and up the stairs. I begin to put all of the toys in the bin, and slide it under the coffee table. Peter stays glued to his spot on the floor.

"I'm going to lose you two just when I got you guys. Just when I got a real family." Peter whispers in the silent room.

"Thanks for the confidence boost, Pete." I retort, rolling my eyes.

"I've never had a family like you guys. When I was little, it was very different. I just want to thank you. For giving me a second chance when Finnick wanted me out." He tells me, getting emotional. This is hard on him.

"Take care of my son. Promise me you won't let _anything_ happen to him?" I ask Peter, the tears returning.

"Nikki, I love that boy with all my heart, he is the light in my life. I would die for him." He tells me, standing up. I rise to my feet, and hug Peter. He exhales, and then I know he's about to cry. He's had a rough couple of months. We break away, and he wanders outside, probably to think.

I sit on the couch, and think to myself…What are we going to do? How can we get rid of the Games? Even with all of Panem behind us? I rub my eyes tiredly, and feel a bit dizzy. All of this stress and worry has taken its toll on me. I stand to my feet unsteadily, and wander through the dark house, until I reach the kitchen. I grab myself a quick glass of water, but I feel something's off. I turn around, and drop the glass of water when I see who is standing in front of me.

Snow stands there, smiling evilly as ever. His snakelike eyes burn into mine. I blink, and the apparition is gone.

"Nikki? What was that?" I hear Finnick call, walking down the stairs. I bend down and immediately begin picking up the glass, shaking my head. I'm losing my mind.

"Oh…" He breathes out. He helps me clean up the glass, neither of us saying a word. We both know exactly what the other is thinking. There's no use.

"Nikki..." Finnick begins. I silence him with a kiss.

"I don't want to talk about it, I just want to live to fullest with these few months we have left together." I tell him, and he nods, understanding. He grabs my hand and motions me to follow him.

"Have you ever went cliff diving?" He asks me. My mouth opens in shock.

"No! And we can't just leave and go cliff diving! Cannon!" I whisper frantically, but he just smiles.

"Peter's with him. Let's go." He laughs, pulling me with him. I _did_ say I wanted to live to the fullest…


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Three:

I stand silently next to Mags on the platform. Next to Mags, is Annie. She stands there, nervously shaking. I grab ahold of Mag's hand. I think back to this morning, staring into the crowd, easily picking out my son, Peter, and My Dad.

" _Mommy, how long will you be gone?" Cannon asks, as Lavendaria applies makeup to my face._

" _For about two weeks, honey." I say, my voice tight and clipped. The stress of today is such a heavy load. This is the last time I will see my son for a very long time._

" _I'm going to miss you and daddy." Cannon says, grabbing my hand._

" _Don't worry, they will be back before you even know it." Lavendaria smiles kindly at him. He returns her smile, and I make sure to burn that smile in my mind, so when I'm away, I can hold onto some part of him._

" _Alright…Your outfit today is simple…Just a plain dark purple summer dress." Silvarius says, sitting down on the floor, massaging her neck. Cannon jumps into her lap. He's been very attached to 'Aunty' Silvarius. She loves him as if he was one of her own, and my heart warms._

" _Honey, your father is here. Do we want him at the Reaping?" Finnick asks. I nod my head. I want to see my son one last time. He smiles sadly, and leaves the room._

So now I'm standing here, on this platform, with everyone from Four staring at me. They all know that Finnick is going back in, but what they don't know is that I'm going back in, no matter what.

"Welcome to the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, and also the third Quarter Quell. Ladies first, as usual." Raquel says, lacking her enthusiasm, and cheerfulness. She claws around in the huge crystal bowl with three pieces of paper at the bottom. I breathe in deeply, the nerves getting to me.

"Annie Cresta." Raquel breathes, in relief. Finnick's eyes shoot to mine, anticipating my act of selflessness.

"I volunteer as tribute." I say this, and he breathes heavily. He moves to stop me, but Raquel blocks his way.

"The female tribute for the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games, is now Victor, Nikki Odair." Raquel says, a frown on her face. 

"Now, onto the boys…or men, should I say?" She says, picking up the one piece of paper with Finnick's name on it.

"For the male tribute this year, Victor, Finnick Odair." She announces. She backs up to let me and Finnick hold hands. My eyes rest on my dad holding Cannon. I smile big for him, so he knows everything's going to be okay. Finnick and I raise our linked hands in the air.

"I present the Victors Finnick, and Nikki Odair as the tributes for the third Quarter Quell!" Raquel announces, her voice not excited, but rather strong in a way.

We are led into the Justice building to say goodbye. Finnick and I are put in the same room. He gives me a look before turning to the window. His eyes are dark, and his mouth is set in a straight line. He's pissed.

"Finnick…" I begin, confused because I thought we already knew we were going back in.

"Just don't." He says flatly. I decide to leave it at that.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Cannon's voice rings in the eerily empty room. I bend down and open my arms to him, as he runs in.

"Hey…" I trail off laughing, as he plants my face in wet kisses.

"Mommy, you and daddy were famous up there. I heard them talk about how great you guys were, and how they loved you." Cannon says, his face full of excitement.

"Aw, Can, they do love us, don't they?" I say, handing him to Finnick. They begin to say their good byes, and I look to my dad. The rims of his eyes are red. He was crying.

"Dad…" I begin, pulling him in for a hug.

"Sweetheart, I just got you back. And now you're leaving again. I don't know if I can do this another time." He says, his voice hoarse.

"Look at me," I order him. "You can do this. I know you can. You are strong, you have to be. For Cannon. Take care of my son. If I…Don't make it home…Just tell him that mommy and daddy are with Aunt Sara." I tell him. He nods, more tears filling his eyes. I'll save the crying for when I get on the train. I don't want Cannon to see me like that. Peter walks in cautiously.

"You better win this thing, or I swear I'll resurrect you and kill you myself." Peter whispers in my ear. I hug him, laughing.

"Love you, Peter." I tell him, he smiles, and kisses my cheek.

"Good bye Dad." Finnick says from behind me, hugging him. I look back to Can, and wrap my arms around him, pressing my ear to his chest. I listen to his small heartbeat, fluttering fast. I think back to when Finnick and I heard his heartbeat over the machine for the first time.

"I love you Cannon. So much. You have no idea." I tell him, the tears burning behind my eyes.

"I love you too, mommy. When you get home, can we color?" He asks me. I nod my head, kissing his cheek.

"Yes. We can color when I get home." I smile at him.

"You have two other visitors." The peacekeeper peeks his head in, guiding Cannon and my Dad out of the room. I don't even look at Finnick, feeling the heavy weight of his gaze on me. I know he's mad, but I can't bear it. I can't deal with his anger towards me, not when I'm feeling this way.

Mags, and Annie stroll in. Mags immediately runs to me, embracing me in her warm arms. Annie goes to Finnick, hugging him tight. They let go, and Mags hugs Finnick. I sigh, and decide, beside all our differences, I pull Annie in for a hug.

"Annie, stay safe. Don't worry about us." I tell her. She gives me a confused look, but I don't elaborate, and she doesn't ask me to.

Everything that happens from this point on, is a blur. Of course there are dozens of reporters shouting at us, and sticking their microphones and cameras in our faces, but I pay them no attention. Finnick doesn't grab my hand, or even look at me. We board the train, this trip will be fun.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Four:

I stand by the window, watching the white sandy beaches of Four disappear. I continue to stand by the window, my thoughts paralyzing me. The last time I was in this situation, I had no one to come back to. My dad and I had no relationship, I didn't know Mags, I didn't have a son, and I didn't have a husband. Now, I have a family. I know that I will never reverse this trip.

I don't know what to expect, will I see Cannon again? I know Haymitch and Finnick have a plan, but anything can go wrong. Something could happen. Nothing's written in stone with the Games.

"What are you thinking about?" Finnick comes up behind me.

"Oh so now you're speaking to me?" I ask him. Pain flickers in his sea green eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just don't like my family in danger. You mean too much to me, and anything can happen in the arena. I can't lose you." Finnick says, wrapping his arms around me.

"If I die…" I begin, but Finnick stiffens up, inhaling a sharp breath.

"Don't say that. I won't let anything happen to you." Finnick whispers.

"That's the problem. You'll get yourself killed, trying to protect me." I tell him, resting my hands lightly on his chest.

"To be completely honest, that's how I would want to go, sacrificing myself for the people I love most." He tells me, his eyes softening. I soon realize I might not have my husband for too long.

"Finnick…I'm scared." I admit, burying my head in his hard, toned shoulder.

"It's okay. I am too." He whispers, resting his chin on my head. I wind my arms around his waist.

Raquel pokes her head in suddenly, her wig barely fitting in the small space.

"Dinner time!" She smiles.

During dinner, no one really speaks. We all know that nothing can save us…except Finnick, I, Haymitch, and Heavensbee.

Haymitch and Plutarch's plan was pretty foolproof, but we still cannot guarantee the other Tributes won't kill us. Only a very limited number of Victors know the alternative plan. As far as they know, this is just a regular Games, only with Victors in the arena.

"So...When we arrive in the Capitol, we will head straight to hair and makeup, and then the chariot ride. I'm thinking we should do a god/goddess of the sea theme this year. You guys will be the ultimate husband and wife team." Silvarius comments, trying to distract everyone from the impending doom.

"I like it." I smile at her, showing that I appreciate her effort.

"Same." Finnick comments, sipping more of his soup.

'You two will be absolutely amazing." Raquel encourages us.

After dinner, Finnick and I climb into bed, snuggling close together.

"I miss him so much." Finnick says, tracing patterns on my arm.

"I miss him too." I say, holding onto Finnick a little tighter.

"We're going to be okay." Finnick says, the sleepiness seeping into his voice.

"I know. We have to be, for Cannon." I say, and with that, we both fall asleep in each other's embrace.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Five:

Katniss POV

The crunching hits my ear before I even know he's beside me, and when I turn my head, Finnick Odair's famous sea green eyes are only inches from mine. He pops a sugar cube in his mouth and leans against my horse.

"Hello, Katniss." He says, as if we've been friends for years, when in fact, we've only just met.

"Hello, Finnick." I say, mimicking his casual tone, although I'm extremely uncomfortable with his close proximity seeing as how he's got so much skin exposed.

"Want a sugar cube?" He asks, offering his hand which is piled high. "They're supposed to be for the horses, but who cares? They've got years to eat sugar, whereas you and I…Well…" He trails off, insinuating that we don't have as much time left. My eyes flicker back to his wife, Nikki Odair, the Victor of the Seventy-First Games. She's no doubt the most gorgeous Victor. Her light caramel brown hair falls to her ribs in perfect curls, and her smoldering green eyes framed by thick lashes watch me with such intensity, I feel insecure just standing in the same room as her.

Finnick Odair is something of a living legend in Panem. Since he won the Sixty-Fifth Hunger Games when he was only fourteen, he's still one of the youngest Victors. Being from District 4, he was a Career, so the odds were already in his favor, but what no trainer could claim to have taught him was his extraordinary beauty. Tall, athletic, with golden skin, and bronze-colored hair and those incredible eyes. No wonder they're a perfect fit.

I remember his Games and how once the Tributes realized that he was the one to kill, he was already a great fighter with the spears and knives he had found in the Cornucopia. When he received his trident as a sponsor gift, it was all over. He wove nets and trapped his victims, spearing them later with his trident. Within a matter of days, the crown was his.

The citizens of the Capitol have been drooling over him ever since. Because of his youth, they couldn't touch him for a few years, until he was sixteen, then the clients started lining up. He had many companions, but those were all Snow's doing. He never stays in the Capitol for long. Ever since he met Nikki, he's been different. He's matured. He hasn't served another client, but I don't think I can say the same for her. I've heard of her escapades at the Rose Water Nightclub. Even after her and Finnick were married.

Nikki was famous for her compassion through the Games-the exact opposite of her husband. I remember her Games, and how her district partner Paul, sacrificed himself for her. That wasn't easy, and that stuck with me ever since I watched him plummet off the cliff to save her. I promised myself I would love just like that, and I have. Volunteering for Prim was my tribute to Paul's love and selflessness. I kept my oath to myself.

I saw how sad she was. On her Victory Tour, Prim and I were in front. She made eye contact with us, and I could see in her eyes how much Paul had meant. I can now see the determination in her eyes, and the hatred for Snow ever since. I respect her for that. Which makes me think I need to watch out for her. I know she's determined to survive.

"No, thanks." I say to the sugar, still uncomfortable under his wife's gaze, and his bareness. She senses this, and walks over. Her stylists have donned her in a gorgeous white dress that is cut skillfully, flowing around her long legs.

"Is my husband bothering you?" She asks, flashing a white smile.

"I wouldn't say bothering…" I trail off. She laughs, and winds her arm in his.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met, Nikki." She extends her hand. I shake it, and can feel the strength in her hand shake. I do remember her getting a fairly high score for her Games, and I do remember when the wolves attacked them, she was extremely skilled with her knives.

"Katniss." I say dryly. How will we defend ourselves against _them;_ the power couple of Panem? Peeta joins us, looking weirded out.

"I see you've made some friends." He comments charmingly.

"It seems that way." I comment.

"Finnick Odair." Finnick says, shaking Peeta's hand.

"Nikki Odair." Nikki introduces herself.

"It's an honor meeting you two. You're like the legendary couple of Panem." Peeta says, smirking.

"Yeah…it seems you two have stolen our thunder, you're all the Capitol has been talking about." Nikki responds, looking down.

"Well, maybe you could give us some pointers sometime." Peeta smiles.

"That would be nice." Nikki smiles.

"Well, it should be starting soon." Finnick comments, seeming distracted.

"Good luck." I comment.

"What was all of that about?" Peeta asks me, his eyes still traveling after Nikki.

"I'm not sure." I respond, grabbing his arm. They looked as if they knew something we didn't.

 **Nikki POV**

"What were you doing?" I ask Finnick, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"I was seeing something." Finnick says. I frown.

"She has no clue. But she knows how to play the Game." He whispers to me. I nod my head in understanding. She won't be a problem.

"You know Haymitch is right?" I say. Finnick's gorgeous eyes flicker down to mine.

"What do you mean?" He questions, hopping on the chariot, and pulling me up with him.

"She loves Peeta. She's determined to get Peeta out alive." I whisper. He nods his head. He wraps his arm around my waist, as we watch everyone get on their chariots, and get into place.

"I love you." Finnick kisses my cheek.

"I love you too." I wrap my around his bare torso. I still can't believe his stylists put him in something so….Naked-like.

"If any women start flirting with you, which I'm sure they will, I'm going to knock them out." I growl, as a Capitol assistant walks by, ogling Finnick.

"Same goes for you. Have you not noticed all the men undressing you with their eyes?" He cocks an eyebrow, gesturing out.

"No they have not." I say stubbornly.

"Your naivety is showing…" He trails off, looking ahead. I am not naïve! How can anyone look at me when Finnick is practically naked!

I sigh and cross my arms, looking ahead as the chariots lurch forward. I sway back, but Finnick's arm keeps me steady. Just like Paul's did the last time I was on this chariot. What a strange thought…the last time I was on this chariot I wasn't even dating Finnick, and I didn't have my son, or my father in my life. So many things have changed, and continue to change.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Hello everyone! I am SO SORRY I haven't uploaded in a while. I sort of had a lot going on. I hope you all understand. :) Anyway, here is the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it, and as always drop a review after you're done reading. Just kidding, you don't have to. But you really should. ;)**

Chapter Six:

After the chariot ride, Finnick and I begin to exit, and hop on the elevator, but the reporters stop us, and the blinking red lights on the cameras indicate we're live, so it's not like we could've just walked away.

"What's your strategy for the arena? One of you will eventually have to die? How do you choose who it will be?" One reporter asks us. Little do they know, that's not quite how this year will go…

"I will do everything in my power to make sure Nikki makes it back to Cannon, our son." He says, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. I lace my fingers through his. The image we will be portraying this year, are two parents that will do anything to make it back to our son.

"So it's decided then, Nikki lives?" The reporter asks, everyone else staring at us in silence.

"If something happens to me, Finnick will make it back, and vice versa." I interject. They nod, and move onto Katniss and Peeta. I let out a breath of relief.

"Nikki, I know we were just saying that for the cameras, but if something does happen, that's our plan." He whispers into my ear. My eyes flicker to his, and I can see he is serious. No words can express all my fears and worries, so I kiss him. This time in desperation.

"Let's go." He says, dragging me to the elevator in a rush. I lean my head on his muscular shoulder, closing my eyes. Today has been a long day, I can't wait to just take a soothing bath, and climb under the warm covers.

Annie, Raquel, Silvarius, and the rest of our prep teams are crowded around the TV, masks of horror on their faces.

"What is it?" I ask, pushing past them, Finnick still holding my hand. My eyes grow wide in terror when I see what's displayed on the screen.

A huge white house is up in flames, and a reporter standing a good distance away, while peacekeepers try to contain the fire speaks into her microphone. My breath hitches in my throat when I realize whose house it belongs to.

"…Just ten minutes ago, Peter Odair and Jasper Alwyn fled the house, coughing while Cannon Odair clung to his Peter's chest. The cause of the fire is unknown, but we can be sure everyone inside made it out." The yellow colored woman informs us, holding her microphone up, her face completely professional, no emotion displayed. My hands immediately wind in my hair, the stress of the fact that my house is gone, and my family could've been seriously hurt getting to me.

"I swear, if anything happened to Cannon…" Finnick mutters, his fists clenched at his sides, his face enraged.

"He's fine, dear. Although I can't say the same for your house." Raquel tries to comfort us, failing miserably.

"I'm going to call Mags." I say through my teeth, Finnick hot on my trail. I dial her number, and on the third ring, I hear her pick up.

"Mags? I need you to put Peter on the phone." I tell her. I wait for a while, knowing that's where they must be. Not long after, I hear Peter breathe a 'hello?'

"Peter…What the hell happened?" I ask, the worry clear in my voice.

"I don't know. I was putting Cannon to bed, and then all of a sudden I heard a bunch of noises coming from downstairs, and then the fire alarms went off. Your dad was in the kitchen, but he didn't see anyone." He explains, his voice hoarse. Finnick, motions for me to give him the phone, his jaw set in a hard line.

"Finnick wants to talk to you." I say, handing Finnick the phone.

"These Capitol phones are pretty fancy, it's okay to be jealous." He comments, making an obvious reference to not say anything too suspicious because these lines are bugged.

"Okay…Is Cannon alright?" He asks. When I wait in anticipation, he nods his head, his eyes meeting mine. I breathe out a sigh of relief.

He hangs up, and runs a hand through his bronze curls.

"You know who was behind that, right?" He asks me, looking up at me.

"Finnick, I'm not stupid." I scoff. Of course Snow did this. Who else?

"Is everyone okay?" Annie asks, coming over timidly.

"Yes. Thank God." Finnick reassures her. I can't help the worry setting in. My family isn't safe there…I guess this is only the beginning. As if I wasn't worried enough, Snow has to go and do this, all to prove how vulnerable we are.

"I think it's best if we rest up. We have a long day tomorrow as well. We go to the training center." Finnick says, slinging his arm across my shoulders, guiding us back to our room.

As soon as the door closes, I bolt to the bathroom and begin running the bath. I don't speak, I just focus on preparing my bath. I have no words to describe how frustrated, angry, sad, scared, and stressed I am.

I hear Finnick enter, but I don't turn around. I begin unzipping my dress, but I feel his hand stop mine. I sigh heavily and turn to face him.

"This is going to be hard." He says, wrapping his arms around me.

"When is it ever easy for us?" I sigh, resting my forehead on his chest.

"Our lifestyle is definitely not for the weak. It's comforting to know in spite of everything we went through, we can still recognize ourselves." He says, resting his chin on top of my head.

I don't respond, but I agree. We have definitely become stronger, and that leads me to believe we can get through anything. Finnick's hand travels from my waist down to my zipper, and he swiftly unzips the rest of my dress. I look up at him, and his sea green eyes meet my emerald ones. He leans down and presses his warm lips to mine softly. My heart quickens, and I wrap my arms around his neck, needing more. My dress falls to the floor, and now I'm practically as naked as Finnick has been all day.

"I love you." He whispers against my neck.

"As I love you." I respond before he picks me up, bringing me back to the bedroom.

This life is a constant war, but the moments in between battles are what we live for. The moments where Finnick looks at me as if I'm the only person he sees, where Cannon calls me 'mommy' with so much adoration it makes me want to tear up every time, where my friends and family embrace me with their love and warmth, and moments where I don't feel afraid because I'm with the ones I love. When my time comes to die I won't remember Snow's evil eyes, his sick smile when causing me pain, what he made me do so Finnick would live, or the arena. I'll remember those moments of love, warmth, and safety.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey guys! This is almost the end of the second book! But don't worry, I will be continuing this story in a part three! It'd be totally awesome if you could leave a review and let me know what you think of the story so far. Have a good day or night, or whatever time it is :)**

Chapter Seven:

 **Finnick POV:**

I wait backstage with my arm snaked tightly around Nikki's waist. I can hear the loud roars of the live audience in the auditorium, and the smell of makeup and perfume fills my nostrils.

My eyes flicker down to Nikki, who looks beautiful as always. Her caramel hair is pulled back, showing more of that gorgeous face, and her dress tonight is very exquisite. The whole dress is practically made out of diamonds, with a sheer beige cloth underneath that sparkles every time it catches the light.

"Now, the interview we have all been waiting for. Please give a warm welcome to Victor Nikki Odair from District Four!" Caesar announces, receiving another wave of cheers from the crowd.

"Wish me luck." She whispers, winking at me before walking away, and onto the stage. I look to the screen, and smile, seeing her shine in the spotlight. How did I ever get so lucky?

"Hello, Caesar." She smiles brightly, shaking the blue-haired man's hand.

"How are you? We all heard about the fire back home, and we're wondering how you and your husband are dealing with this great loss?" He asks, getting right into it.

"It's just a house, as long as Cannon, Peter, and my dad are okay, that's all that matters." She answers flawlessly, never losing her composure. Practice makes perfect, after all.

"Of course, of course. I understand the last time you were in the arena, you had someone you loved in there…Mr. Paul Rider, correct?" He asks. Her smile falters for a second before she answers.

"Yes." She answers, not phased.

"This year you will have your husband and father of your child in there with you, as well as your friends…What is your plan?" He questions, raising an eyebrow.

"To get through each day. All we can do is survive." She says. I sense she wants to say more, but decides not to.

"Exactly. Do you have high hopes of winning this year?" He asks.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out soon enough." Nikki laughs, putting on a good show.

"Yes, we surely will! Now, you and Finnick are the power couple of Panem, both of you are basically legends. I think it's safe to say we are all wondering how the greatest love story in time will compete with the fresh, new, and exciting star crossed lovers, Katniss and Peeta?" He says, flashing a cheesy smile at the camera. After a few seconds of thinking, Nikki smiles.

"There is no competition…Finnick and I are untouchable. Katniss and Peeta have nothing on us." She says, laughing lightly. The audience cheers.

"I think we have some rivalry blossoming between the two couples…It will surely be interesting to see this play out in the arena." Caesar comments, winking. I guess our new curve in this game is to start an intriguing competition with the mockingjay and her love.

"Well, it was a pleasure as always. Here you have it, Nikki Odair!" He says, while Nikki is escorted to the part of the stage where the previously interviewed Victors wait.

"Please Welcome Panem's very own heartthrob, Finnick Odair, from District Four!" He announces, I walk out, a dazzling smile plastered on my face.

"Hello, everyone!" I exclaim, waving and blowing kisses into the audience.

"How are you, Mr. Odair? I assume our sweetheart Nikki is treating you right?" He asks, chuckling.

"Oh absolutely. Nikki is by far the best wife any guy could ask for." I brag, smiling.

"I feel that maybe Peeta will have to disagree with you…" He teases, playing up this new found rivalry.

"He can disagree all he wants, it doesn't change the truth." I say with confidence. The crowd cheers, and some even start chanting Nikki's name.

"Now…both of you are going in, and only one of you come out. How will this affect your relationship?" Caesar pries, getting serious.

"This will have to be the hardest thing we will have to go through, but I know we are string enough, and I think we will grow closer together." I answer, fidgeting.

"And your son? Who will take care of him?" He asks, a concerned expression on his face.

"Either Nikki's dad or my brother, Peter." I answer.

"Is there anything you want to say to them?" He asks me, the crowd growing silent.

"I just want them to know whatever may happen, looking after Cannon will be the best thing anyone has ever done for me and Nikki, and we will never be able to repay them for that. We love them very much and I hope to see them again." I say quickly, uncomfortable on the topic.

After Caesar closes the interview, I walk over to stand next to Nikki. I grab her hand, and raise it to my lips.

"Did you see Katniss? She's wearing a wedding dress…" She trails off. I look over, and sure enough I see Katniss standing in a white wedding gown, Peeta right by her side. Panem will absolutely lose their minds when they see her in that dress. It might just make them think for once.

I wait patiently for Katniss' interview to occur, listening to the boring conversation of the other Victors. The only Victors I don't mind are probably Johanna, Beetee, and Wiress.

When Katniss walks onstage, the crowd goes ballistic, fainting, crying, and shouting. Finally, Caesar can interject and start the interview.

"So, Katniss, obviously this is an emotional night for everyone, is there anything you'd like to say?" He asks her.

"Only that I'm so sorry that you won't get to be at my wedding…but I'm glad you at least get to see me in my dress. Isn't it just…the most beautiful thing?" She says, the nerves casing her voice to tremble. I'm not sure how much she knows, but I do know that she knows how to play her cards right even if she doesn't know what they are exactly.

She begins to twirl, and her dress is engulfed with flames. Smoke begins to rise up from the flames, it's almost as if her dress is burning away. When she stops twirling, I stifle a gasp, unlike everyone else.

Her dress is in the form of a mockingjay. My eyes flicker to where Snow is sitting. He peers down from his golden throne on a balcony with a smug look on his face. Then, Caesar gestures to Cinna, and I know what will become of him. He will die soon for making that dress.

I look to Nikki, and she knows this as well. Her green eyes are wide in fear.

"Finnick, does she…" She begins, but I shake my head. We can't talk about this, not here. A lot of people will die in this war that is rising up. A lot of people will get hurt, but if we are to change the world, we need to move out of our comfort zones, and stick up for what we believe in. No matter the consequences.


End file.
